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empreinte. 

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COMPLETE  MANUAL 


FOR  THE 


'  Aliiktk  of  %  ^inilDkrrg; 


WITH  A 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  BEST  VARIETIES. 


ALSO,   NOTICES  OF  THE 


RASPBERRY,  BLACKBERRY,  CRAxXBERRY,  CURRANT 
GOOSEBERRY.  AXD  GRAPE; 

WITH  DIRECTIONS  FOR  THEIR  CULTIVATION.  AND  THE  SELECTION  01 

THE  BEST  VARIETIES. 


Pf..e»  n«.  r.comm«d,d  b«  been  proTed,  .h.  plan,  of  other.  UM.  .„d  the  ro.ult  I.  heregir*- 


SIXTH    EDITION. 


BY    R.    G.    PARDEE. 

WITH    A    VALVABLB   APPINDIX, 

0O.TA,»ma  TH,  OM.BTATrONP  A«0  .XH.„,.Kcc   OP  ,0M.  o,  THE  HO.T  .UCC.,8FUt 

COLTIVATOB8  or  TH«.S«  FHWlTg  IK  OUB  COUHTiiy. 


r    ■F"! 


NEW  YORK : 

0.  M.  SAXTON,  BARICER  &  CO., 

No.   25   PA  IK  HOW. 

1860. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congrew,  in  the  year  ISiS,  by 

C.    M.   SAXTON    k  CO. 

In  the  Cl«rk'.  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  State,  for  the  Southern  Di.trlcUf 

New  York. 


iitJuarU  ©.  Jmftina,  JjJrintfr, 
No.   26   Frankfort  Strut. 


€o\\tt\\is. 


I 


Preface  to  tub  Third  Revised  Edition. ^^^^ 

Preface 

9 

The  Strawberry 

Situation 

17 

Selection  of  Soil 

Preparation  of  Soil 

Manures 

* 21 

Transplanting  (Time  and  Alanner  of) 25 

Mulching * '  *  ^^ 

"Watering ^ 

Cultivation „„ 

Field  Culture „, 

3* 

Production oq 

Renewal  of  Beds .„ 

Winter  Protection ^3 

Sexuality ._ 

Forcing ^^ 

Seedlings -- 

Classification -g 

Selection  of  Varieties gQ 

McAvoy's  Superior— Hovey's  Seedling— Monroe  Scarlet- 
Burr's  New  Pine— Longworth's  Prolific— Walker's  Seed- 
ling—McAvoy's  Extra  Red-Jenncy 's  Seedling- Moyaraen- 
Bing  Pine— Large  Early  Scarlet— Crimson  Cone-Iowa— 
Rival  Hudson— Genesee  Seedling— Willcy— Princess  Alice 
JIaude— Boston  Pino— Black  Prince— Lizzie  Randolph— 
Swalnstone  Seedling  — Myatt's  British  Queen  — Large 
White  Bicton  Pine— Barr's  New  White- Prolific  Hautboy. 


I 


^■^  CONTENTS. 

Analysis  of  the  Strawberry  Fruit  and  Plant ^"^7^ 

KASPBKRnV _ , 

• ••#..•..,..4  Ol 

Fastolf-Francoui  — Red  and  Yellow  Antwerp  — Knevett'a 
Giant  — Large-fruited  Monthly  — Ohio  Erer-bearing. 

BlaCKDEKBY gg 

White— Improved  High  Bush— New  Rochelle. 

Crandeubv Q, 

Black.  

CCKRANT g- 

Black  Naples— White  and  Red  Dutch— White  and  Red  Grape 

—Cherry— May  Victoria— KnigLt's  Sweet  Red— Largest 
White  Provence. 

Gooseberry og 

Crornpton's  Sheba  Queen— Woodward's  AVhiteemith— Roar- 
ing Lion— Crown  Bob— Houghton's  Seedling,  &c. 
Geape jQ^ 

Isabella  —  Catawba  —  Clinton  —  Concord  —  Diana  —  Black 
Madeira,  &c. 

APPENDIX. 

Pcabody  on  Ever-bearing  Strawberries m 

Pcabody 's  Letter  to  R.  G.  Pardee HI 

Huntsman's  Experiments 121 

Longworth's  Letter  to  R.  G.  Pardee 124 

Report  of  Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society 126 

Barry's  Directions  for  Cultivation  of  Strawberry 129 

Mead's  «  "  u  ^^^^  -.^q 

Fruit  and  Vegetable  Garden 150 


m 


f 


tSi 


81 


I'HEFA.CE 


TO  THE  THIRD   REVISED   EDITION 


f 


In  responding  to  the  'call  of  the  public  for  another 
edition  of  the  "Manual,"  we  have  taken  occasion  in 
the  light  of  the  thoughts,  suggestions,  observation, 
and  experience  of  another  year  to  give  it  a  most  thor- 
ough  revision,  and  perfect  it  for  a  more  permanent 
form. 

Quite  a  number  of  new,  and  it  is  thought  valuable, 
articles  have  been  added,  among  which  we  will  specify 
those  on  ^^ Production;^  ^^ Field  Culture- ^^ Manures'^ 
and  on  the  Blackberry.  Several  have  been  almost 
entirely  re-written,  and  all  amended  so  as  to  particu- 
larly  guard  against  being  misunderstood,  even  where 
the  whole  article  is  not  read  in  the  same  connection. 

We  did  hope  by  an  extended  correspondence  with 
many  of  our  best  horticulturists  to  gather  more  exact 
and  reliable  statistics.  But  it  appears  to  be  a  fact  that 
most  things  connected  with  strawberry  culture  in  our 
country  is  yet  in  a  lax  and  unsettled  condition. 


Ti 


rilEJACE. 


Few,  even  among  our  best  grou-ers,  cultivate  ^vcU 
for  more  thau  one  season  in  succession ;  one  good  crop 
is  gatliered,  and  the  next  season  all  is  too  often  neo-. 
lected,  and  the  crop  is  a  flxilure;  the  result  is  that  the 
testimony  of  many  of  our  prominent  horticulturists  is 
too  often  so  changeable  as  to  be  of  little  permanent 
value.  One  year  one  thing,  and  the  next  year  just 
the  reverse,  because  by  neglect  one  season  there  was 
no  trial.  Too  many  weeds  or  too  many  plants  have 
rendered  good  varieties  unproductive. 

The  past  season  has  been  prolific  of  fruit,  but  rather 
barren  in  the  testia^g  of  varieties,  or  improvements  iu 
modes  of  culture. 

Hovoijs  Seedling  has  well  sustained  itself,  and  even 
gained  upon  its  reputation  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati. 
McAvoy^s  Superior  has  only  sustained  its  reputation  in 
some  favored  localities.  LongwortNs  Prolific  has  gamed 
m  reputation   among  some  of   our  most  intcTlio-ent 
amateurs.      Walker^s  Seedling,  Jennyh  Seedling,  nlrr^s 
New  Pine,  Monroe  Scarlet,  Genesee,  Moyamensing,  Bos- 
Ion  Pine  and  While  Bicton  Pine  have  not  at  least  lost 
ground.     Among  the   new  varieties  ScotCs  Seedling, 
Hooherh  Seedling,  Jenny  Lind,  Pennsylvania,  and  Lucy 
Fitch  from  the  West  have  attracted  considerable  atten- 
tion,  and  are  all  now  in  various  localities  under  experi- 
ment.    The  Lawton  Blackberry  is  exciting  deservedly 
increased  interest. 


i1 


I 


„l 


% 


,  PREFACE.  yjj 

^  Tlie  Fruits  of  America  are  so  line  as  to  claim  more 
tmic,  more  care,  more  intelligent  observation,  and  per- 
sonal  attention  than  has  hitherto  been  given  to  them, 
for  in  no  other  Avaj  can  old  mother  earth  be  made  to 
yield  a  more  sure  and  ample  reward.  We  shall  do  well 
always  to  remember,  as  quoted  bj  Mr.  Downing,  that 
"  Fme  fruit  is  the  flower  of  commodities." 

JVew  rorkj  January^  1856. 


f 


M 


PIIEFA.CE. 


This  work  has  been  prepared  for  the  press,  in  tho 
belief  that  it  was  wanted  by  the  pubhc. 

The  author  has,  in  a  direct,  phnin  manner,  simply 
given  his  own  experience. 

Every  process  here  recommended  has  been  proved ; 
the  plans  of  others  tried,  and  tlie  result  is  here  given. 

Every  variety  of  fruit  here  introduced — except  the 
Lawton  Blackberry  and  two  or  three  small,  unimpor- 
tant fruits— has  been  planted,  fertilized,  watered,  cul- 
tivated, and  carefully  watched  daily  for  months,  and 
in  most  cases,  for  years;  so  that  it  is  not  mere  theory,  or 
second-hand  information  from  amateurs  or  gardeners, 
however  superior,  that  is  here  recorded. 

With  proper  cultivation,  a  large  crop  of  strawberries 
may  be  expected  every  year  with  as  much  certainty 
as  a  crop  of  corn,  and  in  flict,  more  so,  for  our  direc- 
tions embrace  a  protection  from  drought,  which  so 
frequently  lessens  the  corn  crop. 

It  will  be  readily  seen  that  the  author  has  not  fol- 
lowed the  rules  and  order  usually  observed  in  treating 
1^  8 


PREFACE. 

IX 

upon  these  subjects;  but  has  aimed  to  say  what  he 
means,  in  a  condensed,  business-like  way,  so  that  ho 
may  be  understood  by  the  mass  of  readers. 

It  docs  not  by  any  means  follou-,  that  every  one  who 
reads  this  book  will  at  once  raise  the  largest  and  most 
luscious  strawberries  and  other  choice  fruits  here  named, 
in  the  greatest  abundance.  Few  persons  are  thorough 
enough  to  do  any  thing  well  at  first. 

Place  a  new  recipe  for  making  premium  bread  in 
the  hands  of  six  cooks,  and  it  would  be  quite  remark- 
able  if  half  of  them  were  so  particular  as  to  make  good 
bread  on  the  first  trial.  Some  little  thing  which  seems 
to  the  unskilled  to  be  unimportant,  may  in  fact  bo 
essential. 

It  is  pleasant  to  know  tliat  so  many  intolligent  cul- 
tivators are  now  turning  their  attention  to  the  produc- 
tion of  these  flne  fruits,  and  wo  may  reasonably  expect 
much  additional  light  will  bo  thrown  upon  some 
points,  which  shall  bo  included  in  subsequent  editions 
of  this  work. 

The  writer  is  happy  to  acknowledge  his  obligations 
to  a  large  number  of  cultivators  of  these  fruits  during 
the  last  few  years,  for  valuable  suggestions  which  he 
has  become  so  familiar  with  in  practice,  that  doubtless 
even  their  precise  language  has  been  sometimes  uncon- 
sciously  woven  into  the  text  of  this  work.  If  it  were 
possible,  he  would  be  more  specific  in  his  acknowledg. 


i$ 


X  PREFACE. 

ments,  for  it  is  pleascint  to  speak  of  sucli  authors  as  A. 
J.  Downing,  John  J.  Thomas,  P.  Barry,  C.  M.  Ilovey, 
and  latterly  F.  li.  Elliott,  who  has  politely  assented  to 
our  use  of  some  of  the  accurate  drawings  of  fruits  from 
his  new  Fruit  Book  and  Guide. 

Our  Appendix  embraces  much  valuable  original  as 
veil  as  selected  matter,  which  will  place  before  our 
readers  the  views  of  others,  beside  our  own,  and  in 
some  points  diverse,  and  which  will  enable  them  to 
exercise  their  own  intelligent  judgment,  and  we  hope 
lead  to  successful  practice. 

,  The  Author. 


«' 


!i! 


I^REFACli: 


TO    THE     SIXTH    EDITIOW. 

After  two  years  more  of  experience  otservnrrnn 
and  intcreourse  with  intelligent  cultiv.t?f;.,  tl  e  aS 
in  review,  can  onl.y  re-affirm  all  tl,e  sp.ciPc  direct  ons 
here^given  for  the  successful  c-Utivatio'L  of  tile  stoT 

Considerable  progress  car  be  reported,  from  the 
n^wSief "  """"  °°  "^'^  1-'"-  <^f  "^«  best 

halfs'^of  "',L  '■'"'i7- '''  "!■'''"'  "'P™'-'''   f"^'<'>-  «t  the 
Albany,   Ilookr',  &edh,,g  of  R,v,I,ester,   and  Jennv 

first  n^n";?  %'V''?'  """'  '"P™!"!  «-'-"«'•««•  The 
nrst  named,   Thfcon's,  serms  to  surpass  all  oistillnfo 

SlnM-T  '?  ,P™'l"^ti^-«"'V«s,  thus  intei^^   ng  wft  long! 

one  Phnt  ole'"'"'  ??  "''*,  ^"^■'^«*-  We  counted  on 
T W  1  u'  T  ?'■''•  "''''  ""  "'°  t'*!'-'^  of  'he  New  York 
Ilorlicnltural   Society,  260  bemrs!    and  on   several 

which  «"er?%r'''"  •^''^  *"^  200  berries!    man^of 
It    ,     ,      o^  "''S"  ^'^e-and  this  on  single  plaut? 
not  stools  of  plants.     The  second,  Ihohr'Xirlry 

nn^R„''"\P™'^i??"^?  """^  °f  W««fe  flavor,  rwlf 
ing  Burrs  New  Pine  in  this  regard.  The  third  Jcmlv 
Lvul,   promises   to  supercede  °Large    Kary   Scarlet 

a  °r_„,^'!''  "^o.^f.  J'st  comiirise.'.,  we  think,  a,  list  .f    • 
tl^e  ^,v«  SIX  varieties,  and  it  is  somewhat  remarkable 


Zll 


PREFACE. 


that  all  but  Iloveijs  are  staminates.     AFcAvoy's  Super- 
ior appears  to  have  lost  ground,  but  it  may  be,  b(  cause 
It  has   b  en  extensively  confounded  with  McAvoy'a 
Extra  Red,  a  similar  variety,  but  having  an  inferior 
brisk  acid  flavor.  ' 

Peabody's  Seedling  has  not  been  sufficiently  tested 
at  the  North  as  yet  to  warrant  a  special  notice. 

Several  English  varieties  are  spoken  of  favorably 
•such  as  Trollope's  Victoria,  Sir  Harry,  Sir  Charles 
JNapier,  &c.;  but  we  apprehend  they  will  nn.istly 
remain  as  pets  in  the  amateur's  gardens  like  the 
imj)orted  varieties  heretofore  introduced. 

Crimson  Cone  is  yet  the  principle  market  fruit 
•around  New  York.  It  is  handsome,  ftiir  size,  brisk 
acid  bears  carriage  well,  is  easily  cultivated,  and 
moderat  ly  productive. 

Among  the  Baspberries,  BnncUe's  Orange  is  gaining 
ftivor,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  Dorchester  or 
Improved  High   Bush    Blackberry  of   Massachusetts. 

I  he  Cherry  Currant  is  objected  to,  on  account  of  its 
^severe  acidity. 

Tlio  Delaware  and  Rebecca  Grapes  are  creatine  no 
little  furore  in  the  Horticultural  world.  They  are 
certainly  of  delicious  flavor,  and  if  y^rj  early,  hardy 
and  productive  as  represented,  will  prove'  to  be 
decided  acquisitions.  Several  other  new  varieties  are 
spoken  of.  but  their  precise  value  is  so  uncertain,  that 
we  can  afford  to  wait. 

There  is  great  encouragement  at  the  present  time  to 
raise  seedlings  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  new  and 
improved  varieties  of  all  our  smaller  fruits,  and  not 
only  cultivators  generally,  but  amateurs,  if  they  have 
but  a  small  garden,  will  find  much  pleasure  in  these 
experiments. 


New  York^  March,  1858. 


The  Author. 


it 


'«♦ 


THE  STRAWBERRY. 


This  is  the  most  beautiful  and  delicious  of  all  our 
early  fruits,  and  so  easily  cultivated  and  so  uniformly 
productive,  that  every  housekeeper  possessing  a  few 
rods  of  ground  can  have  no  excuse  for  not  supplying 
his  table  with  an  abundance. 

Mr.  A.  J.  Downing  said  truly,  "Eipe,  blushing 
strawberries  eaten  from  the  plant,  or  served  with  suglir 
and  cream,  are  certainly  Arcadian  dainties  witli  a  true 
paradisiacal  flavor,  and,  fortunately,  they  are  so  easily 
grown  that  the  poorest  owner  of  a  few  feet  of  ground 
may  have  them  in  abundance." 

In  the  language  of  Mr.  P.  Barry — "To  grow  large, 
handsome,  fine-flavored  fruit  in  abundance,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  employ  a  chemist  to  furnish  us  with  a 
long  list  of  specifics,  nor  even  to  employ  a  gardener 
by  profession  who  can  boast  of  long  years  of  experi- 
ence. Any  one  who  can  manage  a  crop  of  corn  or 
potatoes  can,  if  he  will,  grow  strawberries." 

During  many  seasons  we  have  had  on  trial  in  cup 

(18) 


r' 


14 


THE   STI?AWBERRY. 


garden  from  twenty  to  sixty  varieties  at  a  time,  and 
although  some  were  comparatively  unproductive,  yel 
the  average  cost  of  producing  them  for  years  has  been 
less  than  fifty  cents  per  bushel;  beside  the  cost  of 
gathering  and  value  of  plants,  which  were  taken  from 
our  own  garden.   Others  can,  and  have  done,  the  same. 
"We  can  refer  to  amateurs,  market-men,  fiirmers,  and 
nurserymen  in  Western  New  York,  who  have  raised 
them  at  even  a  smaller  cost,  both  on  a  large  and  small 
scale.    On  a  plot  of  ground  fifty  by  sixty  feet,  we  have 
repeatedly  gathered  over  fifteen  bushels  in  a  season, 
under  all  the  disadvantage  of  many  varieties.    With  a 
good  selection  of  lands,  and  good  attention,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  one  hundred  and  fifty  bushels  can  easily  be 
produced  on  an  acre.     We  have  on  small  beds  grown 
at  the  rate  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  bushels  to  the 
acre,  and  we  are  assured  that,  on  a  larger  plot,  at  the 
rate  of  two  hundred  bushels  per  acre  has  been  gathered. 
It  is  almost  as  easy  to  raise  extra-large,  fine  fruit,  as  it 
is  small,  indifi'ercnt  berries ;  and  it  is  a  decided  object. 
Fruit  of  high  flavor,  measuring  from  three  to  four 
inches  in  circumference,  will  command  fifty  cents  per 
quart  in  New  York  or  any  other  good  market,  as 
readily  as  small  fruit  will  ten  cents ;  while  the  labor 
of  picking  such  large  fruit  is  very  small,  and  the  pro- 
duct much  larger.      The  demand  for  extraordinary 
iruit  is  everywhere  increasing. 


1 1 '  i 


THE   STRAWBERRY. 


15 


Of  tlio  many  varieties  on  our  own  grounds  one  sea- 
son, more  than  twenty  different  kinds,  without  special 
effort,  jDroduccd  specimens  four  inches  in  circumference, 
while  the  largest  were  six.  There  is  a  positive  plea- 
sure in  raising  such  fruit,  and  our  aim  in  this  work  is 
to  enable  many  persons  to  make  that  pleasure  their 
own.  The  interest  on  this  subject  has  so  increased  and 
become  so  well-niga  universal,  that  every  village  and 
neighborhood  can  call  out  a  little  company  who  will 
be  glad  to  know  how  easily  it  can  be  done. 

Mr.  Downing  says,  "  The  strawberry  is  perhaps  the 
most  wholesome  of  all  fruits,  being  very  easy  of  diges- 
tion, and  never  growing  acid  by  fermentation,  as  most 
other  fruits  do.  The  oft-quoted  instance  of  the  great 
Linn;ous  curing  himself  of  the  gout  by  partaking 
freely  of  strawberries — a  proof  of  its  great  wholesome- 
ness — is  a  letter  of  credit  which  this  tempting  fruit  has 
long  enjoy edj  for  the  consolation  of  those  who  are 
looking  for  a,  bitter  concealed  under  every  sweet." 

An  unknown  writer  in  the  last  Patent  Office  Report 
says,  "The  strawberr\  was  described  by  Juan  di  Cuba 
in  his  '  Ortus  Sanitatis,''  in  1485;  in  which  its  medical 
and  other  properties  arc  treated  at  length."  He  also 
eloqiiently  says : — "  When  we  contemplate  the  rela- 
tions which  the  strawberry  plant  bears  to  other  parts  of 
nature — to  the  sun  which  expands  its  blossom — to  the 
winds  which  sow  its  seeds — to  the  brocxs  whose  banks 


16 


THE   STKAAVBERRY. 


it  embellishes;   wlicii  we  contemplate  how  it  is  pre- 
served during  a  winter's  cold,  capable  of  cleaving 
stones— how  it  appears  verdant  in  the  spring,  without 
any  pains  employed  to  preserve  it  from  frost  and  snow 
—how,  feeble  and  trailing  along  the  ground,  it  should 
be  able  to  migrate  from  the  deepest  valleys  to  Alpine 
heights— to  traverse  the  globe  from  north  to  south, 
from  mountain  to  mountain,  forming,  on  its  passage 
over  prairie  and  plain,  a  thousand  mingled  patches  of 
checker-work  of  its  fair  flowers  and  scarlet  or  rose- 
colored  fruit,  with  the  plants  of  every  clime— how  it 
has  been  able  to  scatter  itself  from  the  mountains  of 
Cashmere  to  Archangel,  from  Kamschatka  to  Spain- 
how,  in  a  word,  we  find  it  in  equal  abundance  on  tho 
continent  of  America,  from  the  bleak  fields  of  Tierra 
del    Fuego   to   Oregon   and   Hudson's   Bay,   though 
myriads  of  animals  are  making  incessant  and  universal 
havoc  upon  it,  yet  no  gardener  is  necessary  to  sow  it 
again— we  are  struck  with  wonder  and  admiration  at 
so  precious  a  gift." 


SITUATION. 


17 


SITUATION. 

A  warm,  exposed,  and  yet  rather  moist  location  is 
the  best  for  a  strawberry  plantation. 

If  very  early  fruit  be  an  object,  select  a  side-hill 
gently  sloping  towards  the  south,  with  a  liberal  ad- 
mixture  of  small  stones  or  coarse  gravel  in  the  soil. 
This  should  then  be  protected  on  the  north,  west,  and 
east  by  a  liigh  closed  board  fence,  or  a  live  hcdo-e  in 
order  to  be  very  early;  we  have  seen  an  artificial 
hedge  of  withered  evergreen  boughs  that  had  answered 
an  excellent  purpose,  and  enabled  the  owner  to  realize 
fifty  cents  per  quart  for  the  crop,  when  otherwise  he 
could  not  have  so  much  anticipated  the  usual  season, 
and  would  have  been  compelled  to  take  twelve  and  a 
half  cents  for  the  same  fruit. 

If  late  fruit  be  desired,  then  select  a  piece  of  land 
facing  the  north,  and  exposed.  Low  land  is  usually 
preferable  to  high,  hilly  land  for  the  strawberry,  yet 
it  can  easily  be  raised  on  both ;  a  little  knowledge  of 
its  character  will  enable  us  to  remedy  the  defects  of 
the  high  ground.  If  the  situation  is  near  a  spring  of 
water,  where  it  can  be  irrigated,  and  is  also  susceptible 
of  drainjige,  it  is  very  desirable. 

Though  they  will  sometimes  succeed  when  partially 
shaded  with  trees  or  shrubbery,  yet  they  are  best 


18 


SELECTION  OF   SOIL. 


flavored  in  an  open  garden,  with  no  shade  but  their 
leaves.  Alpines,  and  some  other  kinds,  planted  in  the 
northern  shade  of  a  fence  or  dwelling,  will  commence 
later  and  continue  longer  in  their  bearing  season. 


SELECTION   OF    SOIL. 

New  land,  recently  disrobed  of  its  forest,  if  of  a 
deep  gravelly  loam,  we  think  is  the  best  adapted  to 
the  strawberry,  and  next,  a  sandy  loam ;  but  almost 
any  soil,  even  the  heaviest  clay,  can  be  prepared,  by* 
a  liberal  admixture  of  sand  or  gravel,  so  as  to  produce 
the  finest  quality  and  a  large  crop  of  fruit. 

As  has  been  intimated,  as  low,  soft,  moist,  cool  soil 
as  can  be  procured,  consistently  with  depth  and  thorough 
drainage,  is  best  adapted  to  the  strawberry ;  and  yet 
elevated  knolls,  and  even  sand-hills,  with  the  precau- 
tions  above-named,  have  often  succeeded  well. 

Wet,  spongy  lands,  except  with  a  porous  subsoil 
susceptible  of  drainage ;  and  high,  barren  hills,  with 
a  thin,  flinty  soil,  are  alike  to  be  avoided. 

The  strawberry,  however,  is  so  retentive  of  life,  that 
it  will  live  in  almost  any  soil ;  but  it  will  not  produce 
much  fruit,  unless  the  remedies  are  in  some  -vay  ap- 
plied  to  the  ungenial  soils. 


PREPARATION  OF  THE  SOIL. 


19 


PREPARATION    OF   THE    SOIL. 

Clear  the  ground  of  weeds,  roots,  and  seeds  of  all 
kinds,  as  far  as  possible,  iu  preparation  for  thorough 
drainnge,  wliicli  in  most  soils  should  be  attended  to  the 
first  thing.  The  best  drains  are  the  earthen  tile  drains, 
from  two  to  four  rods  apart,  which  should  be  so  con- 
structed  as  to  be  left  open  at  both  ends  for  the  circula- 
tion of  the  air,  as  well  as  the  release  of  stagnant  water. 
A  brush  or  coarse  stone  drain  is  beneficial  as  a  tempo- 
rary expedient. 

The  strawberry  is  so  sensitive  to  both  drought  and 
stagnant  water  that  most  of  the  best  land  in  our  coun- 
try should  be  well  drained  and  trenched,  if  we  would 
receive  in  return  uniformly  large  crops  of  fruit  in  all 
seasons.     After  draining,  break  up  the  soil  as  deep  and 
thoroughly  as  possible  with  a  subsoil  plougli,  or  trench, 
it  with  a  spade  to  the  depth  of  full  twenty  inches. 
By  this  process  the  strawberry  roots  can  penetrate  far 
below  tlie  effects  of  our  severest  droughts,  which  never 
extend,  in  good  soil,  it  is  said,  more  than  from  five  to 
seven  inches  below  the  surface.     Where  the  ground  is 
properly  prepared,  the   roots  penetrate   to  a    much 
greater  depth  than  is  generally  supposed. 

The  late  Mr.  A.  J.  Downing  assured  ua  that  he  had 
traced  the  roots  of  a  strawberry  plant  in  one  instance 


20 


PREPARATION  OF  TUE  SOIL. 


through  a  shelving  of  rock  and  earth  a  distance  of 
between  four  and  five  feet  in  length,  in  its  search  for 
water. 

Inasmuch  as  the  fruit  is  composed  of  so  Large  a  pro* 
portion  of  potash,  soda,  and  Ume — sixty-two  parts  in 
every  hundred,  as  wdl  be  seen  by  the  tables  in  this 
work  giving  the  analysis  of  the  strawberry  and  plant 
—we  recommend  next,  that  an  application  to  the  acre 
be  made  of  twenty  to  thirty  bushels  of  unleachcd  or 
leached  ashes,  ten  to  twelve  bushels  of  lime— either 
stone  or  oystershcll— with  two  or  three  bushels  of  salt, 
which  should  be  thoroughly  mixed  with  the  soil,  if 
possible  some  Aveeks  before  the  plants  are  set  out.    It 
should  never  be  forgotten  that  a  frequent  breaking  up 
of  the  soil  with  the  spade  or  fork  before  planting  and 
stirring  it  up  with  a  long  tooth  rake  afterwards  as  long 
as  it  can  be  done  without  disturbing  tlie  roots ;  laying 
every  part  of  it  open  to  the  ad  ion  of  frost,  air,  and 
light,  so  that  a  portion  of  the  soil,  at  least  eight  to 
twelve  per  cent,  is  reduced  to  the  finest  powder,  is  in- 
dispensable to  the  healthy  action  of  the  many  thou- 
sands, yea,  millions  of  visible  and  invisible  fibrous  roots 
of  the  strawberry ;  neither  can  we  too  strongly  insist 
upon  the  fact  that  while  the  strawberry  fruit  loves  a 
pure  finely  pulverized  virgin  soil,  it  loathes  the  whole 
class  of  rich  sthnulating  manures. 


MANUKE3. 


21 


MANUHES, 

Leaf- mould,  decomposed  turf  or  peat,  bog  earth,  new 
Buifiice  soil  or  muck,  wood  ashes  and  lime  with  a 
little  salt  well  composted  are,  we  think,  the  best  manures 
for  the  strawberiy. 

On  old  or  exhausted  lands  deficient  in  life  as  well  as 
nutriment,  barn-yard  and  other  animal  manures  are 
often  used,  we  know  with  comparative  success,  but  we 
much  prefer  the  above  manures  where  thej  can  be 
obtained.  In  our  garden  soils  or  good  conditioned 
fields  we  would  simply  apply  ashes,  lime,  and  salt. 
Plaster  is  injurious  to  the  strawberry,  but  ashes  leached 
or  unleached  are  generally  beneficial. 

We  have  not  used  any  barnyard  animal  manure  dur- 
ing the  last  six  or  eight  years  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
strawberry  in  our  own  garden,  and  it  was  simply  a 
a  matter  of  careful  experiment  which  induced  us  to 
eschew  them  altogether  and  adopt  vegetable  in  prefer- 
ence.     The   animal   manures  were  found  to   be   too 
heating  and  stimulating  in  their  character,  forcing  out 
a  rank,  strong  growth  of  vines  and  runners,  quit-^  un- 
favorable  to  fruitfulness.     It  should  always  be  borne 
111  mind  that  the  strawberry  plant  does  not  produce 
runners,  leaves,  and  fruit,  as  a  general  thing,  at  the 
same  time,     When  the  runners  start,  it  will  brnoticed 


22 


MANURES. 


,1 


If 
■ 


I 


'  i! 


1r 


that  tho  fruit-bearing  propensity  of  tlic  plant  soon 
ceases.  On  the  c^jntrary,  wo  have  had  strawberry 
plants  in  the  open  garden,  nortli,  in  a  soil  two-thirds 
river  sand  with  on^i-third  finely  pulverized  garden 
soil,  tliat  continued  in  flower  and  fruit  from  June  until 
September  without  showing  any  disposition  to  start  a 
runner,  untd,  by  the  addition  of  a  little  guano-water 
in  September,  the  runners  started,  and  the  blossoms 
and  fruit,  as  usual,  then  ceased  to  appear. 

The  usual  application  of  barn-yard,  especially  horse 
manures,  without  compost  on  strawberry  plantations, 
besides  producing  an  over-growth  of  runners  and 
leaves,  even  before  the  earliest  fruit  is  perfected,  heats 
the  earth  where  a  cool  moist  soil  is  required|  and  also 
fills  the  ground  with  seels  producing  troublesome 
weeds,  and  mingles  the  soil  with  undecomposed  por- 
tions of  the  straw,  which,  coming  into  injurioas  con- 
tact with  the  fibrous  roots  of  the  plants  produces  disas- 
trous results. 

Our  first  successful  experiment  with  the  strawberry 
was  on  new  land,  which  gave  ns  an  enormous  crop  of 
fruit.  In  order  to  increase  the  crop  still  more,  the 
next  year,  we  forked  in  rich  manure  between  the  rows 
and  gave  them  the  best  of  care,  and  obtained  mon- 
strous  vines  and  blossoms  but  not  even  a  pint  of  fruit 
in  the  place  of  bushels— a  perfect  failure.  We  then 
trenched  a  soil  three  feet  de^^p,  irade  it  rich  and  set 


1 


MAN17UE3. 


23 


41 
4 


out  some  splendid  plants  from  a  bearing  bed  of  TTovey'a 
Seedlings,  with  an  abundance  of  staniinates  withiu 
four  feet.     Tiie  vines  were  very  largo  and  fine,  but 
alas  I  did  not  produee  one  quart  of  fruit  when  fourteen 
mouths  old.     We  then  removed  most  of  the  rich  soil 
and  replaced  it  with  sand,  and  the  same  bed  bore  us 
three  bushels  of  overgrown  llovey's  the  next  season. 
With  the  soil  thus  reduced,  the  plants  very  slowly  and 
reluctantly  threw  out  any  runners,  but  continued  bear- 
ing largely  without  change  for  four  successive  seasons. 
On  or  about  the  first  of  May,  and  again  ten  days  or 
two  weeks  later,  three  times  each  spring,  it  has  been 
our  custom  liberally  to  sprinkle  our  choicest  beds  with 
a  solution  in  six  gallons  of  water,  of  one  quarter  of  a 
pound  each  of  sulphate  of  potash,  sulphate  of  soda 
(glauber  salts)  and  nitrate  of  soda,  with  one  and  a  half 
ounce  of  sulphate  of  ammonia. 

AVe  would  not  represent  this  application  to  be  essen- 
tial to  the  production  of  good  fruit,  but  a  continued 
scries  of  experiments  has  proved  to  our  satisfaction 
that  it  is  valuable  for  amateurs,  especially  in  increas- 
ing tlie  size,  quantity  and  superiority  of  the  fruit. 

Thj  apparent  effect  seemed  to  be  to  arouse  the 
plants  from  the  torpor  of  winter  and  give  them  in  the 
early  spring  a  strong,  vigorous  impetus,  and  aiding  in 
the  development  of  healthy  plants  for  the  production 
of  laro;e  fruit. 


f   ! 


24 


MAXUIiES. 


We  have  often  seen  Uovey's  Seedlings  nearly  twice 
the  size  of  adjoining  beds  that  were  neglected  in  the 
application.  The  most  favorable  time  for  the  sprink- 
ling  seems  to  be  at  the  close  of  a  warm  fine  day  when 
the  crown  of  the  plants  are  fully  exposed. 

Where  tlie  above  solution  cannot  be  conveniently 
obtained,  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  sulphate  potash, 
sal  soda,  glauber  salts,  and  one  and  a  half  ounce  of 
sulphate  or  muriate  of  ammonia  in  six  gallons  of 
water,  or  either  of  them  applied  alone,  we  have  found 
useful  as  a  substitute. 

Liquid  manures  composed  of  cow  or  hen  droppings, 
or  even  soap-suds,  we  have  not  found  good  fertilizers 
for  the  fruitfulness  of  the  strawberry,  but  they  will 
increase  the  runners  and  promote  the  growth  of  the 
plants. 

It  is  expected  that  these  Uquid  applications  will  be 
mainly  confined  to  garden  or  amateur  culture  where 
there  is  an  especial  ambition  to  raise  superior  fruit. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  interesting  articles  in  our 
appendix  A,  from  C.  F.  Peabody,  Esq,  near  Columbus, 
Georgia,  that  his  own  observations  and  extended  ex- 
perience have  led  him  to  similar  conclusions  in  regard 
to  manures  that  are  here  presented. 

Various  other  intelligent  observers  and  successful 
cultivators,  might  be  named  in  different  parts  of  our 
country,  who  have  been  led  to  adopt  the  same  conclu- 


TJJAX.SPLAXTIXG. 


25 


sions.  AVc  thercf(>r .  say,  cmpluiticall,7,  do  not  overfeed 
your  .strawberry  plantations  with  rich  manures,  for  we 
are  contident  the  great  majority  of  the  crops  in  our 
country  are  greatly  lessened  in  so  doing. 

It  cannot  bo  too  often  repeated,  that  if  yoa  give 
them  the  best— not  the  richest— pure  soil,  very  finely, 
deeply  pulverize  it,  and  place  it  in  the  lightest,  cleanest 
condition,  and  keep  it  so;  get  good  plants  of  good 
varieties,  and  never  let  any  single  plants  be  nearer 
than  ten  inches  to  any  other,  the  results  will  surpass 
your  largest  expectations. 


TKANSPLANTINa. 

This  is  a  process  to  which  the  strawberry  is  most 
sensitive.  The  plant  will  live  under  almost  any  treat- 
ment, or  any  manner  or  time  of  transplanting,  but  will 
not  always  yield  a  full  supply  of  good  fruit  unle.^^s  this 
process  is  appropriately  performed.     First  we  speak  as 

to  TIME. 

For  large  plantations,  or  for  ordinary  cultivator^, 
the  eaily  spring  is  perhaps  the  best  season;  certainly 
it  IS  Llie  time  when  it  can  be  the  easiest  and  most  sue- 
cessfully  accomplished.  The  ground  is  soft  and  moist 
at  that  time,  and  the  weather  is  usually  favorable.     • 

The  next  season  generally  recommended  is  the 
month  of  September.     Plants  can  then  be  easily  ob- 


I'  % 


26 


TRANSPLANllNG. 


tained,  and  after  the  cool,  moist  fall  weather  has  com- 
menced, the  ground  works  easily,  and  there  is  not 
much  difficulty  in  making  them  live.     There  is  one 
danger,  however,  to  be  especially  guarded  against  in 
fall  transplanting ;  that  is,  the  plants  may  not  get  so 
firmly  rooted  as  to  be  enabled  to  withstand  successfully 
the  severe  frosts  of  winter.     A  liberal   covering  of 
straw  will  assist  in  remedying  this  matter.     The  ad- 
vantages  gained  over  spring  transplanting  will  be,  the 
earth  will  not  pack  so  very  hard  around  the  plants  in 
the  fall,  as  under  the  hot  summer's  sun  and  rains,  and 
the  plants  will  not  be  so  likely  to  be  checked  in  their 
growth  as  in  1:he  droughts  which  often  occur  in  June 
and  July  or  August ;   weeds  will  not  so  multiply- 
only  a  partial  crop  however  can  be  gathered  the  next 
season. 

We  have  transplanted  strawberry  plants  successfully 
for  years,  every  month,  from  March  until  the  20th  of 
October,  without  difficulty.  With  mulching,  shade, 
and  water,  judiciously  applied,  it  can  be  well  done  at 
any  time.  For  our  own  planting,  we  prefer  the  1st  of 
July  for  several  reasons.  The  ground,  if  thoroughly 
prepared  then,  will  not  be  subject  to  become  so  hard 
packed.  The  weeds  will  not  be  so  troublesome.  If 
the  plants  get  well  started,  and  are  not  checked  in  their 
growth,  they  will  produce  very  nearly  a  full  crop  of 
fruJfc  the  fbUowing  spring.     We  have  found  that  theso 


-r-,^ 


JrANXEIl   OF  TRAXSPLAN'll^G. 


27 


advantages  will  amply  repay  tlio  little  extra  care  in 
mulching,  shading  and  watering.  Ten  or  fifteen  days' 
latei-  planting  will,  seriously  lessen  the  first  crop,  accord- 
ing  to  our  observation.  In  sprin ^r  planting,  J^farch  will 
answer  south  of  Philadelphia,  and  last  of  April  and 
first  of  .May  for  the  north.  None  but  careful,  skilful 
cultivators  however  should  transplant  in  midsummer. 

MANNER  OF  TRANSPLANTING. 

The  hesi  way  undoubtedly  is,  to  take  the  first  runners 
as  soon  as  fairly  set,  and  remove  them  with  a  trans- 
planting  trowel,  with  the  roots  and  earth  undisturbed. 
This  however  cannot  be  conveniently  done,  except  the 
plants  are  in  the  same  garden  with  the  new  bed.  Neither 
have  we  ever  found  the  first  runners  more  productive 
than  the  subsequent  ones,  unless  they  are  stronger. 

In   most  cases,  i)lants  come  fi-om   a   distance,  and 
great  care  should  be  taken  to  get  as  large  a  proportion 
of  the  numerous  fibrous   roots  as  possible ;    and   in 
order  to  do  this,   the  ground  should  always  be  well 
saturated  with  water,  either  artificially  or  other\\qse, 
before   the  i)lants   are  taken   up,  and   then  the  first 
thing  to  be  done,  is   to  mud   tlie  roots,  by  dipping 
tliem  in  a  little  mud-hole  made  in  the  gardeii   soil° 
where  tlie  water  has  been  poured  and  stirred,  until  it 
has   become  sufficiently  thickened   with   the   soil   to 
leave  a  good  coating  of  mud  on  the  roots  of  the  plants 


28 


DISTANCE  Ili  ITRANSPLANlIJ^-'a 


\ 


as   ihcy  are  withdrawn.     This  greatly  protects   the 
plants  on  a  short  or  a  longer  transportation. 

For  transplanting,  the  cartl-  should  be  levelled  and 
made  as  flat  as  possible.  If  raised  into  beds  or  hills, 
it  will  invite  tlie  drought,  to  which  the  strawberry 
plant  has  a  decided  aversion.  The  plants  should  then 
be  set  out,  leaving  the  roots  in  as  nearly  their  natural 
S])rcading  condition  as  possible ;  with  the  fingers  press 
the  pure  earth  comj^actly  around  the  body  of  the 
plant,  being  careful  not  to  set  the  plant  too  deep.  If 
there  is  any  old  bark  or  decayed  portion  of  the  leaves 
on  the  plant,  remove  it  before  setting  out:  an  old  plant 
will  usually  renew  itself  by  sending  out  a  new  set  of 
roots  on  being  transplanted,  and  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  the  strawberry  plant,  while  it  places  its 
roots,  mainly,  near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  yet  a 
portion  of  its  larger  roots  penetrate  flivorable  soils  to 
the  depth  of  from  two  to  four  feet,  and  even  a  greater 
depth  in  some  cases,  as  has  been  stated. 

DISTANCE  IN    TKANSPLANTING, 

The  Alpines  and  smaller  varieties  should  always  be 
eight  to  ten  inches  apart,  while  the  larger  varieties 
should  be  allowed  ten  or  twelve  to  eighteen  inches. 
Put  one  plant  in  a  place,  and  let  no  other  remain  nearer 
than  the  above  distances,  and  it  is  not  material  to  suc- 
cess in  cultivation  v^hether  you  plant  in  rows,  beds,  or 


DISTANX'E   IX  TllAXSPLAXTING. 


29 


bills,  if  jou  do  not  bill  tliein  up.     We  often  set  out  ia 
rows,  two  fbcfc  apart,  and  leave  tlio  plants  one  foot  from 
each  other  in  the  rows;  or  a  method  by  which  wc  have 
ciijoj-ed  great  success  in  producing  tlie  finest  fruit,  has 
been  to  |)jepai-e  a  plot  of  ground,  and  cover  it  with 
.strong  plants  one  yard  apart,  and  stimulate  these  tern- 
porarily,  by  a  liberal  application  of  liquid  manures  or 
soap-suds  from  the  wash,  to  send  out  runners,  which 
will  soon  supply  the  intermediate  ground  with  jDlanta 
of  nature's  own  planting,  which  is  a  little  better  done 
than  any  one  else  can  do  it ;  care  should,  however,  be 
taken  to  spread  the  runners  so  that  the  above  distance 
of  from  eight  to  twelve  inches  can  be  preserved.     Al- 
lo^^■mg  plants  to  fill  the  ground  too  closely  with  runners, 
and  permitting  those  runners  to  remain,  defeats  more 
good  crops  of  fruit  than  almost  any  other  error. 

For^fleld  cHUure,  set  one  plant  in  a  place,  eight  inches 
to  one  foot  from  the  next,  in  rows  three  feet  apart, 
so  as  to  leave  room  for  a  horse-cultivator  to  pass  be- 
tu-een  the  rows,  care  being  requisite  not  to  appix)ach 
nearer  than  eight  inches  to  full  grown  plants,  partieu- 
hirly  when  approoxihing  the  fruiting  season.    This  whole 
pr..cess  of  field  culture  is  the  same  in  is  general  prin- 
ciples  with  that  in  the  garden  ;  except,  for  the  convc 
nienee  of  a  horse-cultivator  to  pass  between  them,  the 
rows  should  one  way  be  planted   the  same  distance 
apart  as  corn ;    then  the  sajiie  treatment  as  to  clean 


Ii^ 


1    ^ 


11 


80 


MULCEIING. 


cultivation,  and  even  water  and  mulching,  as  far  as  con 
nient,  is  desirable.     (See  our  article  on  that  subject.) 

MULCHINa. 

This  consists  in  covering  the  surface  of  the  ground 
with  something  that  is  not  injurious  to  the  ijlaiit,  to 
protect  it  from  tlie  intense  heat  of  the  sun  or  extreme 
cold.  From  one  to  four  inches  in  depth  is  the  usual 
custom ;  the  latter  depth  for  pear,  peach,  and  other 
fruit  trees. 

For  the  strawberry,  Av^refer,  as  soon  as  the  plants 
are  set,  at  whatever  season  of  the  year,  to  cover  the 
entire  surface  of  the  ground,  including  the  walks,  with 
tanbark,  new  or  old,  to  the  depth  of  half  an  inch  or 
one  inch,  care  being  taken  that  it  is  left  very  thin — 
only  a  slight  coating— immediately  around  the  crown 
of  the  plant.  We  have  pursued  this  plan,  and  have 
never  known  a  single  plant  injured  by  it ;  on  the  con- 
trary, all  the  plants  have  been  decidedly  benefited. 
When  using  sawdust,  we  have  sometimes  been  a  little 
troubled  with  mildew^,  but  never  with  tanbark.  Some 
of  our  most  intelligent  horticulturists  say  it  is  a  specific 
manure  for  the  strawberry,  which  otliers  deny ;  we  find 
it,  at  least,  the  best  thing  brought  to  our  notice  as  a 
mulch.  It  is  excellent  to  retain  moisture  and  keep  the 
earth  in  fine  condition  under  it ;  very  few  weeds  will 


*Sfei 


WATEK, 


31 


ordinarily  tfouble  us,  where  tlie  tan  is  one  incli  in 
thickness,  and  altogether  it  is  excellent.  Where  tan 
cannot  be  (obtained,  sawdust  will  do,  if  not  applied 
too  thick.  Leaf-mould  is  very  good,  if  the  soil  is  not 
already  too  rich.  Straw  is  good,  but  green  rowen  or 
fresh-cut  grass,  if  the  seeds  are  not  ripe,  is  better  still  ; 
any  thing,  in  fact,  not  injurious,  that  is  convenient  and 
adapted,  can  be  used. 


WATER. 

The  strawberry  has  a  great  relish  for  good,  clear, 
cold  water.  We  have  often  seen  them  take  a  strong 
shower-bath  at  midday,  in  the  face  of  the  hottest  sun 
in  July,  without  skrinking.  A  slight  sprinkle,  just  to 
lay  the  dust,  does  not  satisfy  them,  but  a  thorough 
soaking  is  what  they  delight  in— say  a  pailful  of  water 
to  every  six  or  eight  plants,  or  every  four  feet  square 
of  earth.  If  you  say  *'this  calls  for  a  great  deal  of 
hard  work,"  we  answer  then,  do  not  repeat  it  so  often, 
but  do  it  thoroughly  whenever  attempted.  A  few 
weeks  since,  we  sent  a  friend  some  plants  of  new  and 
rare  kinds.  A  drought  prevailed,  and  we  feared  he 
would  neglect  them,  so  we  called  to  see  them,  and 
found  he  had  set  out  and  sprinkled  them  in  the  light- 
est, most  delicate  manner  possible,  and  lost  the  most 
of  them.     Another  friend  to  whom  we  gave  a  few 


32 


CL'I/nVATIOX. 


plants  at  the  same  dry  time,  gave  them  a  tliorough 
and  repeated  drenching,  and  saved  all  his  plants. 

A  garden  engine  is  very  convenient  in  a  strawberry 
plot,  for  watering  purposes,  or  a  stream  of  water  so 
situated  as  to  irrigate,  is  better  still.  A  water-ram, 
and  water  brought  up  in  pipes,  will  accomplish  the 
same  thing.  Ordinarily,  during  the  bearing  season, 
sufficient  rain  falls,  so  that  very  little  Avatering  is 
needed:  some  seasons  are  so  wet  that  no  water  is 
needed  until  the  bearing  season  is  over,  and  then  tlio 
plants  do  not  particularly  ]-equire  it;  but  a  drought 
will  soon  compel  the  strawberry  to  cease  bearing  in 
ordinary  soils.  ?  The  remedy  or  preventive  is  deep  soil 
and  water,  w^ater,  eYcry  day,  and  sometimes  every 
night  and  morning.  The  evening,  just  at  sundown,  is 
the  best  time  to  water  plants  ;  and  in  some  cases  it  is 
desirable  that  the  water  should  have  been  exposed  to 
the  sun  and  air  before  being  applied,  but  we  do  not 
think  this  is  necessary  for  the  strawberry. 


^ 


CULTIVATION. 

Most  persons  bestow,   erroneously,   most  of  their 
labor  in  raising  strawberries  on  their  cultivation.     On 
the  contrary,  if  our  directions  so  far  are  strictly  fol 
lowed,  the  work  is  mostly  done,  except  gathering  the 
fruit.    We  have  very  little  vv^ork  to  do  in  the  way  oP 


CULTIVATION. 


S8 


tlio 


caltivation  after  planting,  except  watering  and  occa- 
sional pulling  of  weeds  which  appear  through  the  tan, 
and  neither  of  these  ordinarily  requires  much  time  or 
hibor.     Tiiey  must  be  kept  clean  and  in  good  order, 
but  we  are  very  careful  not  to  allow  the  hoe  to  be  used 
nearer  than  eight  inches  to  any  full-grown  plant,  and, 
consequently,  it  is  seldom  or  never  used  about  the 
beds  after  the  first  month's  planting.     The  reason  is, 
the  numerous  fibrous  roots  so  interlace  and  fill  the 
ground  for  a  space  of  six  or  eight  inches  around  the 
plant,  coming  so  completely  to  the  surface,  that  the  use 
of  the  hoe  will  cut  off  great  numbers  of  those  little 
roots,  and  we  are  unwilling  to  have  our  plants  maimed 
in  this  way.     It  certainly  greatly  injures  their  bearing. 
The  fork  or  spade  should  be  kept  at  the  same  distance, 
for  the  same  reason.     The  only  time  during  the  year 
we  loosen  the  soil  in  our  beds  with  the  fork,  is  imme- 
diately at  the  close  of  the  season  of  bcarin;?,  selecting 
the  time  when  the  ground  is  moist.     And  yet,  we  re- 
peat, the  strawberries  must  be  kept  clean;   and  the 
reader  may  here  se3  a  reason  for  all  the  minute  and  par- 
ticular description  we  have  given  in  the  preparation. 
It  needs  to  be  thoroughly  done,  because  it  cannot  well 
be  remedied  afterwards.     The  plants  will  not  admit  of 
fj-eely  working  among  them,  except  with  the  hand,  if 
not  kept  at  an  unusual  distance  from  each  other,  with- 
2* 


34 


FIELD   CULTURE. 


out  reducing  the  crop  of  fruit.     If  our  object  is  largo 
and  abundant  fruit,  the  roots  must  not  be  disturbed. 

One  quaUiicaticMi  to  the  above :  V/hen  new  plants 
are  sot,  unless  prevented  by  mulching  immediately, 
we,  as  (jften  as  every  three  days  or  week,  for  a  month 
or  so,  hoc  or  rake  the  ground  freely,  and  always  stir 
;the  soil  as  close  to  the  plants,  as  often]  and  as  much  as 
possible,  only  being  cautious  not  to  disturb  the  roots. 
On  no  account  hill  up  the  plants  in  the  cultivation,  or 
•elevate  the  beds  in  good  soil. 


t      ! 


m  . 


FIELD    CULTURE. 

Although  most  of  the  processes -herein  detailed  for 
the  garden  are  equally  appropriate  for  those  who  are 
largely  cultivating  for  market  purposes,  yet  that  class 
of  persons  are  now  becoming  so  numerous  and  impor- 
tant, particularly  in  the  vicinity  of  our  cities,  that  a 
general  article,  summing  up  the  whole  matter,  may  well 
be  prepared  for  their  especial  convenience  and  benefit. 
Some  points  are  so  essential  as  to  bear  a  distinct  repe- 
Sition. 

Select  from  your  farm  as  far  as  convenient  a  rather 
ow,  cool,  moist  spot  of  ground,  with  an  open,  genial, 
oure  soil ;  somewhat  like  that  we  often  find  on  the 
fliargin  of  streams  of  water  or  muck  swamps,  or  bog 


FIELD  CULTUllE. 


85 


meadows,  or  get  soinctliing  as  near  to  this  as  you  eaii 
find.    A  fine  gravelly  loam  is  2)referable,  and  it  is  bet- 
ter if  the  land  has  botu  thoroughly  cultivated  with 
corn  or  ]x>tatoes  for  a  year  or  two  previous,  so  as  to 
leave  the  land  in  a  light  good  condition,  with  the 
weeds,  roots,  and  seeds  mostly  decom2)osed.    The  land 
sliould  be  well  drained  at  once^  for  it  will  pay  to  do  so. 
In  September,  on  the  removal  of  the  crop  of  corn  or 
potatoes,  plough  the  ground  well  and  subsoil  it  deep. 
Early  in  December  apply  to  each  acre  of  land  ten  or 
twelve  bushels  of  lime — old  will  do — and  two  or  three 
Dushcls  of  common  salt,  and  then  with  deep  ploughing 
break  up  the  soil  again,  throwing  it  up  into  ridges  as 
far  as  the  plough  wall  do  it,  so  that  in  the  most  exposed 
condition  it  may  be  well  prepared  for  the  combined 
action  of  the  snow,  frost,  air  and  light  of  the  approach- 
ing winter. 

In  the  spring,  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  in  order  to 
work  to  advantage,  apply  thirty  bushels  leached  or 
unleaehcd  ashes  to  the  acre.  If  the  soil  is  poor,  or  not 
in  tolerably  good  condition,  wc  would  the  fall  previous 
take  the  lime,  salt,  and  ashes  with  an  equal  quantity 
of  good  muck,  or  marl,  or  woods'  mould,  or  good  turf 
or  surfiicc  soil  and  make  a  compost  heap.  Keep  it  moist 
and  often  stir  it,  and  apply  it  all  to  the  ground  iu 
the  spring  instead  of  putting  on  the  lime  and  salt 
with  the  December  ploughing.     Perhaps  it  might  be 


i 


36 


nVAA)  CULTLTltK. 


well,  however,  to  divide  tlio  limo  and  salt  and  put 
half  of  it  oil  tlio  land  previous  to  the  DccembLT  })l()U"-li- 
ing,  and  tlie  rcmaiuder  put  into  the  compost  heap. 

If  the  laud  is  too  light  and  saudy  it  will  be  benefited 
by  an  additional  moderate  a[)plication  of  clay.  If  tho 
soil  is  too  heavy  add  sand  or  bog  earth;  if  heavy 
and  poor,  put  on  a  light  coating  of  g(wd  loam  or  muck, 
and  if  you  prefer  animal  manure,  choose  that  of  tho 
cow  or  hog,  instead  of  the  horse  which  is  too  heating. 
If  coarse  gravel,  add  loam.  It  will  be  the  best  econo- 
my to  attend  thoroughly  to  all  these  things,  for  they 
will  pay  well.  Nothing  unnecessary  is  here  specified. 
The  products  pier  acre  from  a  field  of  market  straw- 
berries vary  from  $100,  $200,  $400,  $1,000,  $1,300  or 
more  iku-  acre,  and  the  difference  is  so  great  as  amply 
to  remunerate  for  a  most  liberal  application  to  the  soil 
or  of  labor  in  the  preparation. 

As  we  have  said,  as  early  in  the  spring  as  the  ground 
is  in  good  working  order,  apply  compost,  &c.,  as  above 
directed,  and  then  immediately  plough  deep  and  aa 
well  as  possible.  Then  harrow  and  cross  harrow  until 
the  soil  is  well  pulverized,  and  level  the  ground  and  set 
out  the  strawberry  plants,  as  has  been  stated,  one  in  a 
place  ciglit  or  ten  inches  apart,  in  rows  three  feet  dis- 
tant, so  that  they  can  be  cultivated  with  a  horse  culti- 
vator  between  the  rows ;  beside,  while  the  plants  are 
young  all  the  weeds  sliould  be  removed  with  a  hoe, 


t  ri:r.r)  culture. 


87 


care  bcin^  hilo-n,  ;is  often  stated,  not  to  disturl)  tlio 
sniiill  libnuis  roots  ul"  the  pljuit.     We  know  some  per- 
soMH  may  tliink  we  insist  too  inucli  on  tliis  jjoiiit,  and 
wo  also  know  Uiere  are  those  who  have  gathered  fair 
but  not  hirge  crops  witliout  mucli  regard  to  tlie  eai-eless 
use  of  the  hoj.     Tiie  erop,  liowevcr,  will  be  so  nuicli 
inereas(^d  that  we  shall  bo  excused  fcjr  so  often  repeat- 
ing  that  it  will  well  repay  to  weed  by  hand  for  1  ho 
space  of  a  few  inches  around  each  plant,  instead  of  the 
more  destructive  and  rai)id  process  with  the  hoe.     Let 
it  never  be  forgotten,  however,  that  a  strawberry  plan- 
tation Hiud  be  kept  drun  throughout  the  entire  scjison. 
As  we  Lave  said,  a  slight  covering  of  straw  in  winter, 
an(l  a  mulch  of  tanbark,  straw,  or  grass,  just  i)revious 
to  fruiting,  will  increase  the  crop. 

Some  persons,  the  first  spring  after  the  strawberry 
plants  are  set  out,  fill  up  the  intervals  of  three  feet 
between  the  rows  with  a  row  or  two  of  beets.  Inas- 
much  as  the  phuits  are  not  expected  to  produce  much, 
if  any,  fruit  the  same  season  wlien  set  in  the  spring  • 
therofjre  the  cccupation  of  the  ground  in  this  way  is°a 
very  good  one. 

AVhen  the  plants  get  an  early  strong  growth  in  the 
spring  as  we  have  recommendeil,  care  should  be  taken 
to  remove  the  greater  portion  of  the  numerous  runners 
which  will  strike  previous  to  the  coming  winter.  It 
is  a  very  common  and  destructive '  error  to  allow  too 


iSiiKii 


58 


FIELD   CULTURE. 


I  I 


many  plants  to  occupy  the  ground  in  the  bearing  sea- 
son. Often  from  five  to  fifty  times  as  many  plants 
can  be  seen  on  our  strawberry  plantati(nis  around  the 
county  as  can  bear  fruit  to  advantage.  It  not  unfre- 
quently  occurs  that  twenty  plants  on  a  foot  square  will 
scarcely  ripen  forty  diminutive  berries,  whereas  two 
well  selected  and  cultivated  plants  on  the  same  spaco 
will  yield  us  one  hundred  noble  berries  of  twice  the 
average  size;  we  repeat,  the  strawberry  must  have 
plenty  of  room,  light,  and  air,  to  yield  its  full  supply 
of  fruit.  The  low,  short,  stout  plants  are  the  best  to 
select  and  leave  for  fruiting.  Prepare  the  ground  by 
clearing  it,  and  prepare  the  plants  by  thinning  them 
out  in  the  full  for  the  crop  of  fruit  the  next  season,  so 
that  in  the  spring  the  latter  will  not  be  disturbed  in 
the  process  of  perfecting  the  fruit. 

At  the  close  of  .the  fruit  season  stir  up  the  ground 
with  the  cultivator,  and  prepare  it  for  new  plants 
whenever  a  renewal  is  necessary,  and  in  such  case, 
when  the  plants  have  become  strong,  run  the  cultiva- 
tor through  the  old  rows,  destroying  them  and  leaving 
the  plants  ^n  the  intermediate  spaces  for  bearing  fruit 
the  next  season.  Each  year  the  plant  should  be  as 
thoroughly  prepared  for  fruiting  as  in  the  new  bed. 
The  popular  varieties  for  market  cultivation  aro 
Ilovey's  Seedling  and  Crimson  Cone  among  the  pistil- 
late   and  Xiargc  jLarly  bcarlci;  anci  iovra  among  tjo 


rRODUCTION. 


39 


stammntes.  We  recommend  a  trial  for  market  pur- 
poses, and  at  first  of  course  in  a  small  way,  of  Monroj 
Sciirlet,  McAvoy's  Extra  Eed,  Moyamensing  Pino, 
and  Jenny's  Seedling. 


PRODUCTION. 

The  past  year,  1855,  was,  on  account  of  the  fj-e- 
quent  early  rains,  an  unusually  favorable  one  for  the 
strawberry. 

The  crops  were  larger  than  usual,  and  tbe  markets 
generally  were  well  supplied. 

An  extended  correspondence,  personal  examination 
and  inquhy  has  been  undertaken  to  ascertain,  or  at 
least  approximate  to,  the  consumption  during  the  last 
season  in  some  of  our  principal  cities.  From  all  that 
has  been  accumulated  on  the  subject  our  estimates  are  as 
follows : 

New  York  City  47  to  64,000  bushels. 

Philadelphia       10  to  14,000 

Boston  9  to  11,000 

Cincinnati  11  to  14,000 

We  are  assured  that  New  York  City  received  many 
days  more  than  500,000  baskets,  or  over  3,000  bushels 
for  its  own  consumption  ,and  for  the  supply  of  its  sub- 
urbs. A  single  county  in  New  Jersey  from  a  single 
port,  over  twenty.five  miles  distant,  sent  us  by  steam- 


u 


<( 


(( 


BKIttH^lMMiaM^ 


iO 


rilODLXTION. 


I    ■     ' 


boats  during  one  d-iy  last  season  200,000  baskets ;  and 
several  jears  ago  the  su])erintcndent  of  the  Eric  11.  E. 
cci-tified  to  the  seeretary,  Mr.  Marsh,  that  the  evening 
train  of  that  day  brouglit  in  803  bushels  strawberries. 

From  all  sources  during  the  season  we  could  have 
received  scarcely  less  than  8,000,000  baskets,  which  at 
an  average  wholesale  price  of  2  J-  cents  per  basket,  (five 
baskets  to  the  quart)  would  make  an  aggregate  of 
$200,000.  It  should  be  remembered  that  much  of  the 
sui)ply  of  Brooklyn  comes  through  the  New  York 
market. 

Some  single  farmers  around  New  York  are  cultivat- 
ing thirty  or  mbre  acres.  Cincinnati  reported  9,000 
bushels  strawberries  in  their  market  in  1851  or  '52. 

We  cannot  learn  that  the  common  crop  of  the  straw- 
b(?rry  either  around  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Boston  or 
Cincinnati  actually  exceeds  twenty -five  to  fifty  bushels 
per  acre,  altliough  we  have  instances  reported  around 
all  the  cities  of  100  bushels,  and  even  130  to  140 
bushels  having  been  produced  on  an  acre,  or  in  that 
proportion ;  so  that  the  returns  given  in  to  us  of  the 
avails  varies  from  $100  to  $800  per  acre,  and  the 
prices  obtained  ranges  from  12^  cents  up  to  $1  50  per 
quart.  The  latter  price  for  the  very  earliest  taken  into 
Washington  City  fi'om  the  vicinity.  The  ordinary  re* 
turn  for  an  acre,  in  order  to  be  satisfactory  to  the 
growers,  we  are  told  is  $200 ;  and  the  expense  of  cuJ- 


PKODrCTIOX. 


41 


tivating  $15  to  $25  per  acre,  Avitli  an  additional  expense 
of  one  cent  per  basket,  or  $1  50  per  busiiel  for  picking. 
It  will  tlius  be  seen  that  in  order  to  supply  New 
York  and  vicinity  with  strawberries,  about  1,500  acres 
of  the  clioicest  land  in  the  vicinity  is  at  present  re- 
quired,  and  the  other  cities  named  about  500  acres 
eadi  in  proportion ;    which  is  at  least  four  times  as 
much  land  as  is  cither  appropriate  or  necessary  for  the 
object,  if  tlie  nature  and  cultivation  of  the  strawberry 
was  only  as  well  understood  as  the  raising  of  corn. 
A  crop  of  30  bushels  of  strawberries  to  the  acre,  is 
only  about  equal  in  proportion  to  a  corn  crop  of 'lO 
bushels  on  the  same  ground.     We  seldom  see  a  large 
strawberry  plantation  which  after  the  first  year  has  not 
many  more  plants  on  the  ground  than  can  get  light  and 
air  sufficient  to  fruit  well.     The  consequence  is,  that 
our  city  markets  are  mainly  supplied  with  inferior  fruit, 
simply  because  some  of  the  commonest  kinds  ^^^7?  pro- 
duce a  little,  dwarfed,  sour  fruit,  even  under  the  worst 
treatment.     Superior  well-grown  fruit  will  easily  pro- 
(luce  twice  and  four  times  as  much  to  the  acre  and 
command  from  twice  to  four  times  larger  prices  in 
our  c.ty  markets.      Making  the  avails  and   the  dif. 
ference  from  the  same  land,  to  be  25  bushels  at  lo. 
cents  per  quart,  or  at  least  125  bushels  at  25  cents  per 
quart,  or  $1,000  or  $100  per  acre.   In  one  instance  the 
net  profits  exceed  $800,  and  in  the  others  very  little  if 


.;f>>i»  ifmi 


42 


RENEWAL   OF   BEDS. 


i 
ifi 


ill! 


\ 


any.  Oneliundred  and  twenty-five  bushels  ought  to 
be  only  an  ordinary  crop,  and  $1,000  the  product  of 
any  fair  acre  of  land. 

We  have  often  had  small  plots  of  ground  produce  in 
tlic  ratio  of  twice  that  amount. 

A  writer  in  1 854  in  the  May  number  of  the  Albany 
Cultivator,  from  the  old  soil  of  West  Haven,  Connec- 
ticut, certifies  to  having  realized  $215  from  the  sales  of 
strawberries  from  25  rods  of  ground,  or  at  the  rate  of 
$1,300  per  acre! 

In  Ilo^^ey's  Magazine,  1852,  it  is  stated  that  Mr. 
Gore,  of  Maine,  raised  on  a  bed  11  by  43  feet  at  the  rate 
of  full  300  bi^shels  per  acre,  IIow  long  in  common 
fairness  ought  men  to  enjoy  the  stewardship  of  our 
choice  land  that  is  capable  of  producing  such  results, 
when  they  only  equal  one-thirteenth  part  of  that 
amount!  We  Avould  not  dispossess  them  of  their 
rights,  but  we  beg  of  them  to  place  the  occupation  of 
the  land  by  sale  or  otherwise  in  more  capable  and  effi- 
cient hands. 


L  1 


KENEWAL  OF  BEDS, 

This  should  be  done  once  in  three  or  four  years^ 
and  the  same  ground  should  be  planted  with  corn  or 
potatoes  for  one  season,  and  receive  an  application  of 
limn  nshps-  mid  solt,  as  adviscd  in  the  article  on  the 


■\VIXTEll   PROTECTIOX, 


43 


preparation  of  tlie  ground,  before  it  is  again  used  for 
strawberries.  The  bed  might  be  made  to  bear  well, 
by  a  careful  renewal  of  the  old  plants  by  their  run^ 
ners,  for  ten  or  a  dozen  years,  but  this  would  require 
rather  more  skill  in  cultivation  than  most  persons 
possess. 

Every  year  or  two,  if  a  strong  runner  has  struck 
itself  beside  an  old  plant,  we  pull  up  the  old  plant  in- 
stead of  the  runner,  and  are  constantly  thus  renewing 
them.  We  always  leave  the  best  plants.  The  field 
cultivator  has  only  to  clean  oif  the  weeds,  and  prepare 
the  soil  in  the  spaces  of  three  feet  between  the  rows ; 
allow  the  runners  to  cover  that  ground;  then  drive 
the  cultivator  or  plough  through,  turning  under  the 
old  row  of  plants ;  thin  out  the  new  ones  to  proper 
distances,  and  his  system  of  renewal  is  complete. 


'i.*~\ 
ib 


tar  ' 


I  v 

kZ 


WINTER  PROTECTION. 

Our  experience  is  in  favor  of  a  slight  winter  protec- 
tion. It  costs  comparatively  but  little  time  or  expense, 
on  the  approach  of  severe  winter  weather,  to  hastily 
scatter  a  thin  coat  of  straw  or  old  leaves  over  the 
plants ;  and  they  come  out  in  so  much  better  condition 
in  the  spring,  and  e\en  the  hardiest  kinds  bear  so 
much  better  crops  fir  it,  that  we  never  neglect  it. 
like  mulching,  almost  any  thing  free  from  weeds,  that 


i 


^IMi'MHaili 


mStmmmKimllm 


•I  I 


1! 


•!'i 


ii 


WINTER   PIIOTECTION". 


will  not  sniotlicr  tlieiii  or  mildew,  will  answer  tlie 
purpose,  but  clean  straw  is  preferable,  except  they 
need  the  decaying  leaves. 

Some  years  ago,  we  had  an  aged  neighbor,  who 
stood  iihnost  unrivalled  in  the  cidtivation  of  the  straw- 
beny.  One  season  he  set  out,  on  the  first  of  July, 
about  one-fourth  of  an  acre  of  fine  Ilovey's  Seedli  ■ ,  .- 
He  almost  constantly  and  carefully  worked  amoi  _i 
them  with  the  hoc,  the  rake,  and  Avater-pot.  and  I 
never  saw  a  plot  of  so  line  strawberry-plants  as  these 
had  become  on  the  approach  of  winter. 

The  old  man  was  "  very  much  set  in  his  way,"  and 
among  the  things  his  creed  discarded,  was  mulching 
strawberries;  so,  against  my  repeated  remonstrances, 
he  left  them  for  the  winter  without  mulching,  with  his 
usual  preparation,  which  consisted  in  placi.ig  a  half- 
inch  deep  of  good  earth  around  each  plant,  in  a  circuit, 
to  the  width  of  six  or  eight  inches,  leaving  the  surfoce, 
scolloped  inwards  towards  the  centre  of  the  plant. 
The  vdnter  proved  a  severe  one,  and  the  old  man  was 
saddened  in  the  spring,  to  fmd  his  fine  plants  drawn 
out  of  the  ground  to  the  length  of  three  and  four 
inches,  and  laid  flat  on  the  earth.  One-tenth  part  of 
the  labor  he  bestowed  in  hilling  his  plants  for  winter, 
appropriated  to  covering  them  with  a  little  loose  straw, 
would  have  saved  them  all. 


EVKIMilCAIilVG   SriiAWBEJUJIES. 


45 


EVKIl-BEAIinNQ  STRAWBERRIES. 

The  Bush  Alpines  have  always  borne  a  succession 
of  crops  during  the  season,  when  planted  in  the  north- 
ern  shade  of  a  fence,  and  well  taken  care  of,  watered 
mulched,  &e.  '  ' 

Some  three  or  four  years  ago,  the  New  Orleans  7>/m- 
yune  announced  that  Mr.  Henry  Lawrence,  a  gentle- 
nuan  of  that  city,  had  succeeded  in  ohtaining  a  seed- 
ling, called  the   "  Orescent  ^eedUng;^  which   bore   an 
abundance  of  large  fruit  for  a  continuous  period  of  six- 
er eight  months  oi    more,  from  March  to  Decendx-r 
We  wrote  to  Mr.  Lawrence,  and  his  answer  confirmed 
all  the  paper  had  stated;  and  he  sent  us  in  succession 
four  or  five  diiferent  importations  of  plants  of  the 
Crescent  Seedling,  by  the  steamer  and  otherwise,  until 
at  last  we  succeeded  in  causing  them  to  grow,  and 
awaited  their  bearing  season,  when,  alas  I  they  only 
bore  a  moderate  crop,  and  ceased  bearing  as  early  as 
any   other  variety  in   our  ground;    thus  proving  a 
failure,  as  far  as  perpetual   bearing  was   concerred, 
under  our  ordinary  mode  of  cultivation.     The  i)lant 
has  extraordinary  vigor,  a  rampant  staminate,  exceed- 
ing all  varieties  we  hr^e  ever  seen  in  multiplying  its 
runners.     The  experiment  convinced  us  that  it"  vas 


4    1 


m 


43  EVKlt-IiKAKlxVC    STIiA\VJ5KKi{I^. 

nut  ihe  variety,  so  mucli  as  the  cultivation,  ami  soil 
and  cliiiiate,  wliicli  gave  it  its  continual  bearing  pro- 
pei'tics.  SoniG  cxperimeut.s  since  made  witli  this  va- 
riety, in  soils  so  reduced  as  to  be  little  else  than  coarse 
sand,  favor  this  idea.  Mr.  Lawrence  wrote  me  at  the 
first,  that  he  reduced  his  soil  by  three-fourths  of  j)iirc 
river-sand ;  and,  although  I  reduced  my  garden-soil 
considerably,  yet  it  remained  still  V(>ry  much  too  rich 
for  tlie  Crescent  Seedling  to  develop  its  perpetual  pro- 
perties.  The  various  experiments,  however,  were  by 
no  means  lost. 

About  this  time,  it  was  announced  by  the  press  that 
Charles  A.  Peabody,  Esq.,  the  horticultural  editor  of 
the  Soil  of  the  South,  near  Columbus,  Geoi-gia,  had  sue- 
cceded,  by  reducing  the  soil,  and  with  plenty  of  water, 
in   marking  two   well-known   northern  varieties— the 
Large  Early  Scarlet,  and  Hovey's  Seedling— develop 
perpetual  bearing  qualities  under  the  hot  summer's  sun 
in  Georgia,  furnishing  fruit  in  quantities,  from  ]\rarch 
till  January.     If  this  was  the  case  in  Georgia  and  I^ew 
Orleans,  could   we   not    hope,  by  similar   means,  to 
extend  our  strawberry  season  north,  during  the  months 
of  July,  August,  into  September  ?    In  October  last,  in 
an  ^  inten-iew  with  Mr.  Peabody,  he  gave  it  as  his 
deliberate  opinion  tbat,  by  the  process  he  detailed  and 
pursued,  we  could  easily  have  an  abundance  of  fruit 
from  our  strawberry  vines  until  frost  came.     We  take 


pleasii 

in  full,  in  liis 


rein  inserting  .A  r.Peabodv'sp] 


RIMKS. 


47 


On  the  20tli  Deccmbe 


interesting  artieics,  in  tl 


J  -^  I^lnn  and  directions 


',  ni  the  Ajipendix,  A. 


i'ew  plants  in  fruit  from  Lis 


1-  ^ast,  Mi-.  I\^abodj  tooJc 


..^..  ^lojn  Ills  gii 
With  the  .soil  attached,  in  a  ba: 


arden,  and  placed  tl 


n])  a 


I  em. 


P^ess  to  Messrs.  J.  M.  Thorb 


■'"^J^et,  and  sent  them  hy 


.street,  New  York.     On   their 


Bay,  th 


''^^^  &  Co,   13  John 
arrival,   on  Christ 


>^y,  they  „ere  wcH  loaded  .vith  la,-.;  'nrJr'"^ 
and   FotItt  c?      1  .  "^'o^  Jipc  llovovH 

ana  ±.aijj  Scarle  s,  too-cther  w,-fi.       i  -^ 

^reen  fruit  nf    ii    •        .  "^  ^^''^^^  ^^'^^■i^^V  of 

^ittn  iiuit,  of  all  siises,  from  th-it  nf  o 

full-grown  berries      T  ..  ^'"^  ''^'^^'^^^'^^^  *^ 

o  ^Jtrries.     J-hej  remamed  on  e\l,iln+^ 

tUeur  .indo..,    .o^e  tu-o   .eek,   who.  1        '" 

politely  handed  to  u,,  and  wo  had  ^  ''"''' 

.-hou..,..h.,oH;o.po::r:i:;::r 

Pl»"t«  «"  grew  finely;  in  March  they  e.n        '  , 

wnhont  sending  out  a  single  runn;    •'!^  J  f  '•'' 

plants  at  the  present  tin.e  (the  14AVt        t       "" 
t'osson,  and  have  not  sta  tel  a  ^l^T  ""  " 
«'e  pot.  which  had  no  runno>.  3  ,,"         °7"°  "^ 
-3-h.t.erieh.oiUndina,;:e^^S^^^^ 

sro;i--^^-^'^^--rt= 

The  infocnec  we  draw  from  all  this  is   that  no 
}   "■'  — beanng  under  our  usual  >nanner  oi 


■fl 


,  'fmmmmitmmttttll 


48 


SKXr.Mi   CHAKACTKJl. 


:1! 


-■  i 


treatment,  but  that  most  kiiuls  can  be  so  trained,  that, 
with  a  soil  reduced  hirgely  enough  with  sand,  and 
only  vegetable  manures  a^jplied,  imd  plenty  of  water, 
and  mulching  when  needed,  they  will  continue  to  pr<:)- 
duco  fruit  until  the  a[)proach  of  frost.  The  whole 
tendency  of  our  experiments  in  strawberries  is  in  tliis 
direction.  Professor  Page  has,  in  Washington  City,  it 
is  stated,  induced  the  Alice  ^faudc  to  ndopt  tlie  (over- 
bearing habit.  E.  P.  Brooks,  Esq.,  of  Ehnira,  N.  Y., 
had  the  IJautboys  in  bearing  in  the  open  garden  in 
Seplcmber  and  even  in  December,  1855. 

Amateurs  and  others  will  do  well  to  try  the  experi- 
ment on  a  small  scale,  until  they  perfectly  succeed ; 
auLl  then  the  large  price  of  a  dollLr  or  more  i^cr  (puirt, 
which  the  markets  of  New  Yo^'k,  Boston,  and  Pliila- 
delphia  will  pay  for  such  fruits  in  August,  will  amply 
repay  for  the  production  on  a  large  scale.  Leain  well, 
by  observation,  all  the  habits  and  tendencies  oi  the 
strawberry  in  this  regard,  and  we  think  the  thing  can 
be  easily  accomplished. 

SEXUAL    CHARACTER. 

We  now  come  to  the  great  battle-ground  of  the 
giants,  but  will  not  enter  the  lists,  if  we  may  be  per- 
mitted to  quietly  state  a  few  things  as  our  o|)inion, 
without  intending  to  reflect  upon,  or  having  even  re- 


SEXUAL   CIIARACTKR. 


49 


mote  reference  to,  any  persons.     It  is  very  easy  to  see 
the  manner  in  which  some  have  been  led  into  error, 
viz. :  the  mixture,  well-nigh  universal,  of  different  kinds 
of  strawberries-an  error  productive  of  untold  injury 
to  successful  cultivation.     We  have  never  seen  two 
kinds  of  strawberry  that  might  safely  run  in  the  same 
bed.     On  no  account  suffer  it.     The  poorest  kind  will 
multiply  its  runners  the  most  rapidly,  and  drive  the 
well-bearing  plants  from  the  bed;  particularly  is  this 
the  case,  where  that  poor  kind  is  a  staminate.     We 
think  the  direction  given  by  the  late  Mr.  Downing  and 
others,  to  place  the  staminates  on  each  end  of  the^same 
bed,  with  the  pistillates  in  the  centre,  an  unfortunate 
one,  for  the  beds  and  the  plants  are  usually  very  soon 
destroyed  in  thaf  way.     We  are  very  particular  to 
place  our  staminates  a  greater  distance  from  the  pistil- 
lates:  if  30  feet  to  60  feet  off,  it  is  better.     The  bees 
and  wind  carry  the  pollen,  and  opposite  sides  of  the 
garden,  if  the  distance  is  100  feet,  will,  we  think,  be 
found    near  enough   to    answer  the  same  purpose. 
Neither  would  we  allow  pistillates,  such  as  Ilovey's 
Seedling  and  Burr's  New  Pine,  to  run  together,  but 
be  very  particular  to   keep   each   kind  distinct  and 
apart.     ^Ve  think  it  is  Mr.  Longworth  who  has  stated, 
that  if  we  place  q,  single  staminate  plant,  like  the  Large 
Early  Scarlet,  in  the  centre  of  a  productive  bed  of  a 
pure  pistillate  variety,  in  less  than  two  or  three  vears 


50 


SEXUAL  CHARACTER. 


iii 


f 


that  one  plant  will  drive  every  good  fruit-bearing  plant 
out  of  the  bed. 

This  is  one  reason  why  so  many  strawberry  beds 
fail  after  the  first  bearing  season ;  so  we  repeat  in  the 
strongest  manner,  get  pure  plants— difficult,  we  know 
— and  on  no  account  permit  awj  two  kinds  to  run 
together;  place  boards  on  edge  between  them,  or  in 
some  way  protect  them  from  each  other. 

After  this  episode  on  a  yqtj  practical  point,  we  may 
be  permitted  to  say,  there  are  strawberry  plants  we 
call  staminate,  because  they  exhibit  to  the  eye  very 
distinct  stamens.  Our  plate  will  illustrate  this.  An- 
other kind  we  call  pistillate,  because  the  naked  eye 
can  discover  developed  in  the  blossom  only  the  pistils. 
Most  of  our  intelligent  horticulturists  assure  us,  that 
the  best  staminates  will  only  produce  a  part  of  a  Mi 
crop  of  fruit,  while  the  pistillate  varieties  will  produce 
no  perfect  fruit  at  all,  without  being  impregnated  by 
some  staminates  in  the  vicinity ;  but  when  thus  im- 
pregnated, the  pistillates  produce  an  abundance  of  the 
finest  fruit. 

The  interesting  and  accurate  experiment  of  Mr. 
Huntsman,  in  the  Appendix,  C,  sets  this  matter  in  a 
very  clear  light. 

Some  of  the  staminates  of  recent  introduction,  like 
Walker's  Seedling  and  Longworth's  Prolific,  are  so 
very  desirable,  that  every  cultivator  should  have  one 


SEXUAL  CIIAIUCTER.  |jj 

or  both:  it  i,,  thorefore,  only  i„,j„„tant  to  „„,ico  tho 

to,  Uep  them  d«t.,.ct,  and  no  .sacrifice  is  roquircl 

o  -nfo,™  to  this  t,,cory,  which  soon,  to  be  nZ 
u.uvo,..s„l„  c.,tabli.hcc,.     Mr.  Longwo.h'.s  a,,i  lo  ^ 

it:X"        "'  ^'^^^  ""^  '"*---S  --'"  of  it. 
Anotl,er  scries  of  plants  are  called  Ilermaphroditc- 

P^^t,ls  a,e  m  a  greater  or  less  extent  developed,  and 
thc^r  a.'c  represented  to  bear  well,  being  alone. 

Ihe  gxoat  war  that  has  raged  so  fiercely  on  the  bor- 
,  of  "'«  strawberry  kingdom  during  the  past  year 
or  two,  has  been  on  the  point,  whether  staminate  ev 
cnange  to  pi,stil,ates,  or  .ice  «,.,.     p,,  \'2 

7  ''"-."o&cd,  with  scrnpulous  care,  these  distn" 
cuaractenstics  of  the  various  ,trawb,  rics  when  7n 
blossom,  and  we  have  never  seen  the  first  symptom 


Fio.  1. 


Fro.  2. 


Pis  8. 


Fig.  t.  A  perfect  flower  ftimlshpfl.ttHfi,  «* 
«^.  tho  pistils  hermaphrodite  '"'^  '*'"'°'  ""<^  ?'««'«•    «•  the  stnmens. 

Fig.  2.  A  staminate  or  malo  flo,..^,. 
Fig.  3.  A  pistillate  or  female  floTrer. 


I 


ill'- 

M 

6tl 


■l  I 


52 


SEXUAL  CHAKACTEB. 


p 


Fio.  4 


Fig  4  A  peTfecl  flower,  with  a  etamen  and  pistil  detached,    a,  the  anther. 
b,  the  aiament   p,  the  pistil. 

of  change  in  any  variety.  We  do  not  know  that  a 
change  in  open-air  oultivation  is  now  much  contended 
for  from  an  quarter.  We  think  the  mixing  of  plants 
causes  staminate  and  pistillate  blossoms  to  be  seen 
together.  In  forcing,  we  are  told,  by  high  authority, 
that  some  plants,  like  the  melon,  &c.,  change  their 
sexual  character,  and  why  not  the  strawberry  ?  We 
do  not  know  that  this  point,  that  the  strawberry  does 
so,  has  yet  been  fully,  established. 

The  English  varieties  are  mostly  staminates,  and 
bear  fruit  of  extraordinary  size  and  flavor ;  but  we 
think  not  in  so  large  quantities  as  some  of  our  pistil- 
lates.  Certainly  all  the  English  staminates  prove  com- 
paratively only  second-rate  in  our  soil  and  climate. 


ill 


FOECING. 


63 


FORCING, 

On  this  point  our  experience  is  very  limited,  having 
been  confined  to  small  experiments  during  the  past 
wmter :  we  therefore  give  the  best  information  we 
have  been  able  to  obtain,  from  the  highest  English 
authorities. 

In  the  London  Gardener's  Chronicle,  edited  in  the 
Horticultural  Department  by  Professor  Lindley,  we 
find  the  following  directions  from  that  most  eminent 
horticulturist,  Mr.  Paxton: 

^'Select  for  this  purpose,  in  the  middle  of  Aucrust, 
a  sufficient  number  of  the  best  runners  from  approved 
kmds  to  have  choice  from,  and  plant  them  six  inches 
apart,  m  beds,  upon  a  strong  border  in  a  dry  and  shel- 
tered  situation.     As  soon  as  the  leaves  have  withered 
mulch  them  lightly  with  well-rotted  manure,  and  if 
very  severe  weather  occur,  protect  them  for  the  time 
with  fern  or  litter.     They  must  be  kept  the  folbwinff 
sprmg  free  from  weeds  and  runners,  removing  dso 
any  flowers  as  they  ..ppear.     Towards  the  latter  end 
of  May  or  beginning  of  June,  whenever  dull  or  rainy 
weather  may  occur,  remove  them  carefully  into  forty- 
eight-sized   pots.     It    is    optional 
whether  one,  tv 


rrfni 


f  ■ 
V 


k 


or 


three  plants  are  put  in  one  pot, 


64 


FORCING. 


according  to  his  object  being  quality  or  quantity ;  but 
we,  desiring  fine  fruit  in  preference  to  number,  only 
place  one  of  the  strongest  or  two  of  the  weaker  in  one 
pot,  using  enriched  melon  soil  or  turfy  loam.  Place 
them,  when  potted,  in  a  situation  where  they  can  bo 
readily  shaded  for  a  short  time,  and  receive  reonlar 
supplies  of  water  if  necessary.  About  the  latter  end 
of  July,  or  early  in  August,  these  pots  will  be  filled 
with  roots,  when  the  plants  must  be  repotted  into  flat 
thirty-two-sized  pots,  usually  termed  strawberry  pots, 
and  at  this  time  plunged  in  old  tan  or  coal  ashes.  The 
best  manner  of  plunging  them  we  find  to  be,  forming 
beds  wide  enough  to  contain  five  rows  of  pots,  when 
plunged,  upon  a  hard  or  gravelly  surface,  to  prevent 
them  rooting  through,  the  sides  supported  by  slabs  of 
the  same  width  as  the  de^Dth  of  the  pots,  and  filling 
them  up  with  old  tan  or  ashes ;  the  plants  remain  here 
until  ^vanted  to  take  in,  and  are  easily  protected  from 
severe  frosts.  It  will  be  found  an  excellent  plan  to 
prd^erve  the  latest  forced  plants,  which  are  not  much 
exhausted,  for  forcing  the  first  the  next  season ;  these, 
from  their  long  period  of  rest,  and  well-ripened  buds, 
aie  predisposed  to  break  earlier  and  stronger  than  the 
others ;  some  of  them,  if  the  autumn  is  moist,  will  be 
excited,  and  produce  flowers,  which  must  be  imme- 
diately pinched  out;  they  should  have  their  balls 
carefully  reduced,  and  be  repotted  in  larger  pots  early 


FORCING. 


65 


in  August,  protecting  them  from  the  late  autumnal 
rams,  and  from  frost," 

"  For  succession,"  Mr.  Paxton  says,  "strong  runners 
are  taken  up  iu  September,  and  planted  about  six 
inches  ,,paH,  in  manured  and  well-prepared  beds,  four 
feet  wide,  in  a  somewhat  sheltered  situation ;   there 
they  are  allowed  to  remain  until  the  following  J„W 
dunng  which  period  they  must  be  kept  very  clean 
from  weeds,  have  the  flowers  and  runners  regularly 
pinched  cS,  and  be  watered  whenever  likely  to  suffer 
from  drought.    About  the  middle  of  July  they  are 
potted  in  small  thirtytwo-sized  pots,  two  plants  in  a 
pot,  taking  the  greatest  care  that  neither  roots  nor 
leaves  are  dm^aged  in  the  operation,  and  an  important 
part  of  It  IS  to  press  tne  earth  firmly  about  them ;  the 
«>.!  used  is  two  parts  loam  to  one  of  well-rotted  dung. 
Beds  which  will  hold  five  or  six  rows  of  pots  are  then 
formed  in  the  following  manner :   level  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  and  spread  upon  it  a  layer  of  eoal  ashes  • 
above  whieh  must  be  nailed  iirmly  slabs,  or  any  rough 
boards,  as  wide  as  the  depth  of  the  pots,  which  are 
then  to  be  plunged  to  the  rim  in  spent  bark  or  ashes. 
All  that  they  will  here  require  is  attention  to  watering 
when  necessary,  and  a  slight  protection  with  fern  or 
other  hght  covering,  during  severe  frosty  weather.'   I 
always  preserved  from  300  to  400  of  the  latest  forced 
plants  of  the  above  description,  and  after  having  care- 


>    -I 

n 


k 


66 


FORCING. 


!    f 


fully  reduced  their  balls,  repot  them  in  large  thirty- 
two-sized  pots  in  July,  treating  them  afterwards  pre- 
cisely as  the  others.  I  find  these,  by  having  their  buds 
formed  early,  (through  the  slightest  forcing  they  have 
received),  and  beconung  very  strong,  are  admirably 
adapted  for  the  first  crop,  and  always  repay  me  for  the 
extra  trouble.  Begin  forcing  with  a  temperature  of 
40°,  increasing  to  50"^  when  in  bloom,  and  to  55"  when 
ripening." 

"Mr.  Brown,  gardener  to  Lord  Southampton,  at 
Whittlebury  Lodge,  near  Towcester,  says,  that  Mr. 
Paxton's  method  of  preparing  strawberry  plants  for 
forcing  is  a  good  one  where  time  and  trouble  are  of 
no  consequence :  but  for  the  last  fifteen  years  he  has 
adopted  a  plan  which  answers  well,  and  by  which 
good  strong  plants  are  procured  in  one  month  from 
the  present  year's  runners. 

*'  The  compost  used  in  good  strong  loam,  well  mixed 
with  rotten  dung  from  the  hot-bed  linings;  twenty- 
four-sized  pots  are  the  best  for  Keene's  Seedlings,  and 
thirty-twos  for  Grrove  End  Scarlets.  The  latter  variety 
answers  for  early  forcing  better  than  any  other  sort, 
when  strawberries  are  wanted  by  the  end  of  March. 

"  Having  filled  the  pots  with  the  compost,  tliey  are 
removed  at  once  to  the  strawberry  quarters,  and  ar- 
ranged on  ei^^"  side  of  the  rows,  among  the  runners. 
The  middle  ♦     July,  when  the  plants  are  emitting 


SEEDLINGS. 


67 


roots  IS  the  proper  time  to  begin  the  operation  of  layer- 
•ng:  having  previously  prepared  a  quantity  of  pegs  the 
runners  that  are  rooted  into  the  ground  are  careMly 
removed  and  their  roots  inserted  in  the  pots  and 
pegged  down.  Put  three  plants  into  the  twenty-four 
pots,  and  one  in  the  thirtytwoa;  they  immediately 
begin  giwxng,  being  supported  by  the  mother  plant, 

weathir  ''*^"™  '^""'""'^  """''''"^   ™  '^^ 

"  When  the  plants  are  well  rooted,  which  is  in 
about  one  month,  detach  them  fi.,m  the  old  plants 
and  remove  to  their  winter-quarters.  ' 

"Beds  are  prepared  for  them  with  a  bottom  of  coal 
ashes  and  they  are  plunged  in  old  tan ;  each  bed  sur- 
rounded  with  a  stratum  of  coal  ashe.  six  inches  wide 
and  as  h,gh  as  the  top  of  the  pote,  which  prevent^ 
worms  from  working  amongst  them." 


?1 


SEEDLINGS. 

Since  the  introduction  of  Ilovey's  Seedling,  this 
department  of  strawberry  culture  has  had  new  m  and 
vagor  mfused  into  it,  and  has  resulted  in  affording 
Y^  grafiication  to  those  engaged  in  it,  and  proved 
of  decided  benefit  to  our  countiy. 

rWs  fruit  is  so  soon  and  so  easily  raised  from  seed, 
that  the  proc^ess  invites  to  a  very  attractive  series  of 


H 


58 


CLASSIFICATION. 


experiments.  Almost  any  one  can  experiment  in  a 
small  way;  and  the  person  wlio  sliall  produce  a 
strawberry  of  tlie  size  of  Hovey's  Seedling,  or  of  the 
size  and  productiveness  of  McAvoy's  Extra  Red,  oom- 
Tained  with  the  exquisite  flavor  of  Burr's  New  Pine, 
will  be  a  benefactor. 

Perhaps  the  easiest  way  is  to  select  the  largest  ripe 
•berries  of  the  best  class  of  pistillates,  raised  in  close 
proximity  to  one  of  the  best  stamin  .s,  and  crush 
'them  in  a  bed  of  pure  sand,  mix  them,  and  let  the 
seeds  dry  and  ripen  for  two  weeks  or  a  month ;  then 
sow  them  in  light  soil,  in  a  partially  shaded  spot  in  the 
garden,  carefully  water,  and  in  winter  protect  them 
with  a  covering  of  straw;  in  spring  transplant  them, 
one  plant  in  a  place  two  feet  apart ;  carefully  remove 
•all  runners  until  the  plants  have  borne ;  select  the  best 
for  further  trial,  and  throw  the  rest  away.  A  better 
way,  if  convenient,  is  to  sow  the  seeds  and  sand  in  a 
cold  frame,  provided  in  a  northern  exposure,  and 
transplant  as  above  directed. 


ii 


i 


CLASSIFICATION. 

Mr.  Elliott  says,  "  Authors  have  classed  the  straw- 
berry as  Scarlets,  tho  original  type  being  our  wild- 
strawberry ;  Pines  originating  from  the  Pine  or 
Surinam  strawberry ;  Woods  and  Alpines  from  the 


69 


CLASSIFICATION. 

^mmon  wood  strawberry  of  Europe ;  Hautbois  or 
High-wood  from  Bohemia;  Chili,  from  South  America. 
"The  Scarlets  are  designated  in  their  character  by 
small  flowers ;  long,  thin,  light-green,  sharply  serrate 
leaves ;  acid  or  sub-acid  fruit,  of  bright  scarlet  color 
with  seeds  deeply  imbedded."    The  Large  Early  Soar- 
let,  Methven,  Duke  of  Kent,  and  others,  are  of  this 
class,  and  yetthe  flowers  of  the  first  two  are  rather  large 
"The  Pines  are  designated  by  large  flowers;  broad, 
dark-green  leavts;  fruit  of  pineapple  flavor,  and  gene- 
rally    soft   in    texture;     seeds    slightly  imbedded" 
Hovey's,   Black   Prince,  Burr's   New  Pine,  British 
Queen.  &c.,  are  of  this  class,  and  yet  Hovey's  and 
New  Pme  have  quite  small  flowers:  the  two  others 
are  large. 

"  The  Alpines  and  Woods  have  small  flowers  per- 
fect m  their  organs;  small,  tlun,  light-green  leaves; 
trmt  small,  sweet,  and  separating  freely  from  the 
caljx. 

"The  Hautbois  have  large,  pale-green  leaves,  on 
-oil  foot-stalks,  the  fruit-stalk  taU  and  erect,  the  fruit 
of  a  dull  red  or  purplish  color. 

"The  Chili,  designated  by  hairy,  thick,  obtusely 
serrate  leaves,  fruit  pale  red  and  insipid. 

"  The  Green  Strawberries  have  light-green  foliage, 
plaited  fruit,  solid  flesh,  so  unworthy  cultivation  a^ 
rarely  to  be  found  in  this  country. 


f  u' 


QO 


SELECTION  OF  VARIETIES. 


"  We  have  dropped  the  arrangement  into  classes  in 
order." 

The  above  classification  is  a  distinct  one,  but  we  do 
not  think  quite  correct,  neither  can  ^^e  find  or  make 
one  tliat  is  both  distinct  and  correct. 

SELECTION    OF   VARIETIES. 

This  is  a  point  of  no  small  difficulty.     One  person 
wishes  only  the  finest  fl^ivored  varieties  for  his  own 
•table,  of  v.hich  E.rr's  New  Pine  and  Swainstone's 
Seedling  are  the  head ;  another  wishes  all  the  showy 
and  fancy  varieties,  such  as  the  Bicton  Pine,  Black 
Prince,  Alice  Maude,  &c.;  another,  still,  cultivates  for 
market,  and  wants  large,  bright-colored,' solid-fleshed 
productive  fruit,  like  McAvoy's  Extra  Red,  MoyJ 
men.ing  Pine,  and  Walker's  Seedling.    Again,  the 
manner  of  the  cultivation  of  some  persons  will  con- 
form  to  some  varieties,  and  be  opposed  to  others,  per- 
haps  superior;  or  some  soils  and  climates  are  natu'rally 
adapted  to  some  varieties,  and  unadapted  to  others,  so 
that  the  custom  we  have  adopted  in  years  past,'wc 
would  recommend  to  those  going  into  the  cultivation 
of  the  strawberry,  viz. :     Obtain  a  plant  or  two  of 
several  of  the  best  varieties  named,  and  cultivate  them 
expenmentally  for  two  or  three  years,  and  then  select 
the    most    successful    ones  and  discard    the  others. 


r  ^ 


CULT1VATI0.V   OF  VAWBTttS.  Ql 

Another  difficulty  arises  from  the  new  developmenf. 
eonsta„,I,  making,  .hich  teuds  to  exalt  a  tZted 
-        !7"f  ■"  --"  -''-  of  our  country,  and  d  ^     ' 
fevontc  one  ,n  other  part.,  so  that  we  shal],  it  Tp  « 

or  changing  our  opinion,  respecting  some  of  the  differ 

Another  point  of  delicacy  still  arises,  from  the  fact 

wkch  they  thrnk  and  speak  in  the  highest  terms  but 
from  what  httle  we  have  seen  of  them!  and  thei  'trii 
ben,g  almost  exclusively  in  the  hands  of  the  or  la 

o      on     besides,  many  seedlings  are  constantly  pro- 

duced  by  our  nurserymen,  some  good,  and  manyCt 

so  good,  who  cultivate  them  frequently,  as  they  do 

yr  plants  for  sale,  in  crowded  beds  or  ten  in  com! 

pa^  n>ass^,  or  in  the  partial  shade  of  trees  or  sh::: 
be>y  o„  old  so>l,  so  that  their  mode  of  trial  is  often 
of  httle  value  m  developing  or  determining  the  Z 
character  of  the  plant. 

Some  varieties  we  do  not  name  wiU  doubtless  prove 
Bupenor,  and  we  would  not  intimate  that  some  of  the 

rreir-^'-^-^-'^'^^-otprovet^ 

We  shall  speak  mainly  and  freely  our  own  experi- 


Si 


62 


SELECTION   OF   VAlllETIES. 


ence  and  observations  of  tlic  peculiarities  of  tlie  differ- 
ent kinds  as  manifested  to  us  during  the  last  ten  or 
twelve  years  or  less,  and  in  a  plain,  distinct  manner, 
give  our  present  views  of  them,  not  being  confined  to 
or  having  much  reference  to  the  usual  condensed  po- 
mological  descriptions  or  classifications,  which  we  think 
arc  not  so  important  to  the  popular  mind,  and  we  are 
not  wiiting  a  work  to  instruct  botanists  or  learned 
pomologists. 

The  first  six  varieties  named  and  described  would, 
all  things  considered,  be  our  first  choice  in  a  selection 
confmed  to  that  number.  The  next  twelve  will  follow 
very  nearly,  not  entirely,  in  their  regular  order  as  our 
next  choice,  reference  being  had  to  the  particular  de- 
scriptions for  the  prominent  characteristics  of  each,  as 
fitted  for  the  amateur,  the  family,  or  the  market-man. 

moavoy's  superior, 

The  new  $100  prize  seedling  of  the  Cincinnati  Horti- 
cultural  Society  in  1851.  It  was  originated  in  that 
city  by  Mr.  D.  McAvoy,  in  1848,  on  loamy  clay 
soil  underlaid  with  limestone,  and  was  called  out  by 
the  offer  of  a  premium  of  $100  by  that  Society,  at 
the  instance  of  that  energetic  horticulturist,  Nicholas 
Long  worth,  Esq.,  for  a  pistillate  strawberry  which 
should  prove,  on  a  four  years'  trial,  to  surpass  all  other 
know  n  varieties  in  size,  flavor,  an  i  productivcneag. 


SE/JX'TIOX  OF  VAlilETIES. 
MCAVOY'S    SUPERIOR. 


63 


Fia.  1 


Fio.  2 


The  committee  concluding  that  this  fulfilled  the  condi- 
tions, reported  in  its  fayor,  and  the  report  wa^  adopted 
by  the  Society.     In  September,  1851,  we  obtained  two 
plants  and  in  so  far  as  our  observation  of  it  has  ex- 
tended  m  our  own  and  several  other  gardens,  in  differ- 
ent  portions  of  our  country  it  is  superior,  in  average 
.size  and  productiveness,  to  any  other  variety  we  have 
seen ;  and  while  it  is  good,  and  when  properly  ripened 
of  h.gh  flavor  and  delicious,  yet  we  do  not  think  it 
equals,  much  less  surpasses.  Burr's  KewPine  in  flavor 
It  is  pistdlate,  hardy,  vigorous,  dark  serrated  leaf,  long 
foot-stalks,  trusses  of  fruit  full  and  usually  well  formed 
but  occasionally  a  berry  not  entirely  filled  nut-  th^ 
runners  are  not  so  numerous  as  to  be  troublesome^ 


ti 


si:Li:crioN  of  vauietiks. 


fruit  verylarg(3,  often  over  five  inches  in  circumference, 
rich  dark  color  until  over-ripe;  irregular,  conical, 
roundisli ;  large  seeds,  slightly  sunk;  flesh  crimson  and 
white,  tender,  juicy,  with  a  core  of  rather  open  and 
coarse  texture. 

Kipcns  medium  season,  and  rather  too  tender  for  a 
market  fruit,  except  for  short  carriage  distance. 

iiovey's  seedling. 

Tliis  has  been  truly  called  a  noble  fruit,  and  is  an 
honor  to  the  originator,  Mr.  C.  M.  Ilovey,  of  Boston. 
It  has  undoubtedly  taken  more  prizes  in  the  various 
Horticultural  Exhibitions  of  our  country,  from  Maine 
to  Louisiana,  than  any  other  variety,  and  it  retains  the 
same  position  at  the  present  time,  although  it  is  not 
equal  in  flavor  to  Burr's  New  Pine  and  others,  or  of 
the  average  size  of  McAvoy's  Superior  and  some  other 
varieties ;  and  in  almost  every  quarter,  we  hear  more 
or  less  complaints  of  its  fickleness  in  bearing,  mingled 
with  the  strongest  approvals  of  its  productiveness.  ° 

Kotwithstanding  all  murmurs,  its  flavor  is  good 
when  well  ripened;  it  is  too  often  picked  and  tasted 
when  first  colored  and  unripe;  and  some  of  its  berries 
BO  surpass  all  other  varieties  in  size— often  five  and 
Bix  and  sometimes  over  eighi inchesin  circumference— 
as  to  carry  along  the  judges  at  our  exhibitions ;  and  the 
size  under  good  cultivation  always  proves  satisfactory. 


SELKCTION   OF  VARIETIES. 


65 


"V^. 


Fio.  3. 

fail™  inTe'l<!'rt  '"''  ''^^^ -"^a^sod  by  its 

oeanng,  but  we  are  inel  ned  to  thinV  ;/ 
ii  a  great  measure  owin-  to  our  ww  If  i        ,  ''' 

its  habits,  uud  coDseauPutW  """^  ^^ '^n' °f  k""«'!eclge  of 
,  "iu  consequently  erroneous  cultivation     It 


!i  i 
ti 

r 


ii 


66 


SELECTION  OF  VAIlIETT^i:S. 


requires  a  great  deal  of  water,  or  moist  soil,  and  will 

not  bear  so-ricli  soil  as  Boston  Pine  and  many  oilier 

kinds ;  and  the  simple  reduction  of  the  soil  to  the  com- 

mon  grade  has  sometimes  changed  the  barren  into  pro- 

ductive  plants.     It  originated  in  1834.    The  vines  are 

vigorous,  leaves  large  in  rich  soil,  rather  light  grocn, 

and   fruit-stalks  are  of  good   length.     Fruit  is  very 

large,  roundish-oval,  conical ;  color,  rich  scarlet ;  seeds 

slightly  imbedded;  firm  flesh;  well  adapted  for  market, 

and  of  medium  season;  flowers  pistillate. 

irONROE  SCARLET. 

This  variety  has  not  been  so  extensively  known  or 
so  largely  tested  as  Hovey's  Seedling  and  Burr's  New 
Pine.  It  originated  in  Eochester  by  those  enterprising 
nurseP/men,  Messrs.  Elwanger  &  Barry,  and  was  firs^t 
exhibited  by  them  at  the  June  meeting  of  the  "Ilorti- 
cultural  Society  of  the  Valley  of  the  Genesee,"  we 
think  in  1850,  where  we  first  saw  it,  and  took  a  plant 
home  with  us. 

We  introduce  it  in  this  connection,  because  we  think 
it  will  prove  remarkably  productive.  Such  has  been 
the  case  in  our  trials  of  it ;  it  has  uniformly  surpassed 
all  others  in  bearing.  We  have  counted  over  seventy 
ripe  berries  of  good  size,  the  largest  measuring  four 
and  thrce-fourtlis  inches  in  circumference  at  one  time, 
on  a  single  plant  less  than  one  year  old.    A  friend 


SKLKCTIOX  OF   VARIETIES.  gy 

south  of  WasWngtou  City,  to  who.  we  sent  a  fe.  gen- 

an    nearly  eovored  ,ho  entire  sur&ee  of  the  ground 

wUh.r„.se.  of  fruit.    It  i.  a  decKled  acquisition'    Wo 

-     a.a.  that  the  Alpine,  and  some  other  icinl 
v.n  produce  n.any  berries  in  a  single  hill,  but  the; 

r"':,  •    ^^''^•'''"''^^^"•yvigorous:  pistillate • 

fruxt  largo,  roundish  short  neck,  and  beautifu'  of  g^od 
fa.r  flavor,  hard  flesh,  a  long  bearer,  and  good  for 
market;  does  well  partially  shaded. 

burr's  new  pine. 
This  variety  originated  in  Colum- 

bus,  Ohio,  in  1846,  on  a  clay  soil, 

and  IS  remarkable  for  its  agreeable, 

dehcous,  aromatic  flavor,  surpassing 

all  other  varieties;  and  also  for  its 

early    bearing    and    uniform    pro- 

tlucfiveness.     It  i,  usually  of  larc^o 

medium  size,  although  we  have  seln 

on  exhibition  large   dishes  of  fruit      -..,„.„  „„. 

measuring  nearly  four  inches  in  circumference    and 

^^^  -^  ^"'"'■'«''  mohes;  and  when  thus  well 


biteb's  new  PINB. 


-Ji, 


68 


SELECTION   OF  VARIETIES. 


grown,  and  on  exhibition,  it  will  bear  off  the  first 
prize  from  Hovej's  SeedHng,  and  all  other  varieties; 
yet  it  is,  under  ordinary  cultivation,  nearer  the  size  of 
three  inches  in  circumference.    It  is  a  great  favorite 
with  families  of  exquisite  taste,  either  forthe  hand  or 
for  the  tabic,  and  we  have  proved  it  to  be  the  eailiest 
of  sixty  varieties  in  the  same  garden  to  ripen  its  fruit, 
and  one  of  the  latest  to  cease  bearing;  and  occasional 
plants  have  produced  a  small  second  crop  in  the  au- 
tumn,  while  standing  without  watering  in  the  open 
garden.     The  fruit  is  large,  round,  conical  and  even; 
color,  pale  red ;  seeds  very  slightly  sunk;  flesh,  whitish- 
pmk,  sweet,  and  too  tender  for  a  market  fruH;  quite 
productive,  and  berries  perfect;  the  foliage  is' large, 
and  the  plant  is  vigorous  and  hardy.    It  is  indispens' 
able  for  private  gardens.    Pistillate. 

longworth's  prolific. 
The  two  remaining  plants  of  the  first  six  are  stami- 
nate,  or  hermaphrodite.  This  variety  originated  in 
Cincinnati  at  the  same  time  with  McAvoy's  Superior. 
Mr.  Longworth  furnished  the  seed  for  both  plants  to 
two  cultivators,  McAvoy  and  Schnecke,  the  former 
of  whom  produced  the  Superior,  and  the  latter  this 
variety,  which  at  first  was  called  "Schnecke's  Ilerma. 
phrodite,"  but  afterwards  named  by  the  Cincinnati 
Horticultural    Society,    "Longworth's    Prolific,"   in 


I 

a 

0 

d 
w 


SELECTION   OF  VARIETIES. 

ionor  of  Nicholas  Longworth, 

Esq.    It  is  a  great  favorite  with 

tlie  gentleman  whose  name  it 

bears,    who  says  "it  will   do 

what  no  other  variety  in  this 

country  or  Europe   has    ever 

done-^bear  a  full  crop  of  good 

fruit    standing   alone."    In    a  -^^_^' 

note  to  Mr.  Barry  in  the  fall  of      ^o^^^onm^s  pkoli^c. 

of  more  value  ZUoZZ^^'        "V"  ''^'^^"^  ^' 

excellenee  ^^  ""^  "^'S"^  ^^^--^  to  its 

It  has  been  almost  imDossibl<>  +^      *  .i. 

variety.     In  our  atte^..^         .  ^'*  *^'  ^'^^"^« 

y     -iu  our  attempts,  we  have  had  repeated  f.il 
ures,  until,  at  last,  Mr  D  MoAvn        ^^ 

Jo  seen  the  genuine  in  .  fe.  other  gardens,  Zltl 
of  miles  apart,  during  the  last  two  seasons  •  LT 
where  we  have  seen  it,  if  it  ,,d  a" Lee  ^T 
done  well.      Many  will,  doubtless,    di  card"  Lo 
worth's  Prolific "  ^vhn  J,o         ,      •  ^""S" 

Our  nJT:^^^' '"''  T~  '-d^- 

-^perien.e  wxlx  not  enable  us  to  speak 


69 


1 .1 


70 


SELECTION  OF    VARIETIES. 


i 


H 


SO  decidedly  as  some  of  tliose  we  liave  quoted,  yet  we 
can  say  we  are  much  pleased  with  it,  and  hope  it  will 
equal  the  high  expectations  excited ;  so  far,  it  seems 
to  excel  any  hermaphrodite  of  our  acquaintance  in 
size  and  productiveness,  and  is  of  good  flavor.     The 
Pennsylvania  Horticultural  Society  had  it  on  exhibi- 
tion from  the  garden  of  Caleb  Cope,  Esq.,  in  1853,  and 
speak  of  it  as  "  very  large,  roundish  obovate,  brilliant 
crimson ;  seed  of  the  same  color,  sometimes  yellowish, 
set  in  rather  deep  indentations,  with  rounded   inter- 
vals ;    flesh   red,  flavor  fine,  quality  *  very   good,'  a 
variety  of  great  excellence,  perfect  in  its  sexual  organ- 
ization, and   remarkably  productive,  a  rare  circum- 
stance with  staminate  varieties  of  large  size."     The 
plant  is  very  vigorous  and  hardy ;  large  broad  leaf, 
long  foot-stalks,  setting  the  fruit  well  up  in  large  full 
trusses,  productive    and  sure  bearer;    ripens    at  the 
medium   season,  and  only  loses  its  fine  color  when 
over-ripe.     We  have  seen  the  fruit  from  four  to  five 
inches  in  circumference. 


n 


walker's  seedling. 

The  last  of  the  six  we  name  above  is  also  one  of  the 
new  berries,  not  so  extensively  proved  as  yet.  The  Hon. 
Samuel  Walker,  ex-President  of  the  Massachusetts 
Horticultural  Society,  originated  and  sent  it  out  some 
two  or  three  years  ago,  when  he  politely  sent  us  a 


fiKLECTIOX  OF  VAIIIETIES. 


71 


dozen  plants  for  trial,  which  trial  has  been  very  satis- 
factory.     The  society  above-named  has  during  the  last 
season  renewed  its  endorsement  of  it,  and  Mr.  Barry, 
of  Eochester,  also  approves  it  there.    It  is  entirely 
distinct  from  all  other  kinds,  and  is  a  good  honest  fruit 
In  form  it  resembles  the  Large  Early  Scarlet,  or  more 
nearly  the  Crimson  Cone,  but  rather  larger  than  either- 
m  color  it  is  as  dark  crimson  or  purple  as  the  Biack 
Prmce.     A  vigorous,  hardy,  good  staminate,  of  excel- 
lent flavor,  "  best"  quality,  and  productive;  of  medium 
season. 

MoAvoy's  extra  eed. 

This  is  another  of  the  new  Ohio  strawberries,  ori<ri. 
nated  by  Mr.  Longworth  in  his  garden,  or  by  his  tenant 
and  gardener,  Mr.  D.  McAvoy,  at  the  same  time  with 
the  Superior,  which  variety  it  appears  in  every  respect 
to  equal,  except  in  flavor.    The  Fruit-Committee  in 
Cincmnati  report  it  as  "large,  beautiful  and  verv  pro- 
Mc;   quality  medium,   sub-acid  not  l,igh-fla.;red." 
We  thmk  it  will  prove  a  valuable  market  fruit  •  it  is 
ve^  vgorous  and  hardy;  fruit  large  and  handsome 
and  keeps  well.     We  have  seen  it  exhibited  for  forty^ 
eight  hoars,  after  twenty  miles  land-carringe,  when  it 
mnained  the  brightest  and  most  showy  fruit  of  forty 
choice  varieties.     The  Pennsylvania  HortieuItur.nl  .So- 
c.e.yml853  pronounced  it  "  extraordinarily  produo- 


72 


SELECTION   OF   VARIETIES. 


tive,"  and  quality  "  good."  It  is  pistillate,  and  its  only 
faults,  as  fur  as  wc  arc  aware,  arc  its  acidity  and  its  lack 
of  high  flavor,  which  we  do  not  consider  indispensable 
for  a  market  fruit. 


jenney's  seedling. 

This  originated  in  New  Bedford, 
about  the  year  1845 :  is  of  good 
size,  high  flavor ;  and  has  been 
highly  recommended  by  the  ^Massa- 
chusetts  and  other  Horticultural 
Societies.  We  hrne  successfully 
cultivated  it  for  four  or  five  years, 
and  think  its  advantages  are,  its 
good  fair  size,  bright  handsome 
color  and  form,  sprightly  rich  flavor,  lateness  of  season  in 
bearing,  and  sound  flesh,  fitting  it  for  a  first-rate  market 
fruit,  or  for  preserving ;  its  defects  are,  its  not  being 
the  largest  size  and  only  a  medium  bearer.  The  plant 
is  vigorous,  and  blossoms  pistillate. 


ntNNKY'8  BEEDLIKO. 


moyamensing  pine 

It  bore  off  the  premium  offered  by  the  Pennsylvania 
Horticultural  Society  in  1848  for  the  best  seedling 
strawberry  exhibited  that  year,  and  is  described  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Fruit  rather  large ;  roundish  conical ;  deep 
crimson ;  seeds  crimson,  set  in  rather  deep  depressions, 


SELECTION  OF  VARIETIES.  73 

With  rounded  intervals;  flesh  red;  flavor  verv  fine- 

ures.      We  should  not  place  the  quality  as  hi^h  as 
best,"  although  it  is  good.  In  Kew  Je^  and  ^en" 

W  "V  '"  *'^  '^^'  ^^P^'»«-  -  »  fine  rnarket 
ftu  t,  and  our  experience  confirms  it.    In  £.,ct,  we  ^ 

2-<i  to  think  that  this  varietyandMcAvo/'si:: 
Eec  ,na,j  prove  among  our  lest  market  kinds,  and  aa 
such,  a  groat  acquisition.    Thit  t>o-  ,t  J,, 
yet  established.  ^      '  ''°"^'^^'''  "^  "°' 

LABGE  EARLY  SCARLET. 

This  has  long  been  the  standard  staminate.  It  beaw 
alnaost  everywhere  a  tolerable  crop  with  fairtreatm^ 
B  s  ea.,,  an  as  we  see  from  Mr.  Peabod/s  arti^e 
m  the  Appendix,  under  his  treatment  has  become  a 
perpetual  bearer.  It  is  of  medium  si.,  hands  oeL 

marivet  tolerably  well. 

Bs  good  qualities  are  its  uniform,  al^ough  not  large 
productiveness,  early  season  and  good  flavor;  its  de 

fects,  Its  want  of  size  and  of  large  productiven'e     ana 
^  tendency  to  throw  out  an  overgrowth  of  run^e.. 
"  ^  valuable  as  an  impregnator. 

CRIMSOK  CONE. 

A  verv  brio-Tit  iion^a-— -  i,  •  i 

,   -i-^nt,  „andsun,e,  brisk,  acid  fruit  of  me- 

<t«>n  s.e,  uniformly  conic..,,  rich  dark  erimsoi,  ."d 


«^ 


74 


SELECTION   OF   VARIETIES. 


quite  productive.  Its  seeds  lie  deeply  imbedded,  gi  ving 
the  surface  a  beautiful  rasp-like  appearance.  Its  de- 
fects  are,  its  second-rate  size  and  acid  flavor.  It  was 
always  a  favorite  of  Mr.  Downing's,  who  preferred  its 
acid  flavor  for  the  table,  bringing  it  to  its  proper  tone 
by  a  liberal  addition  of  sugar. 

It  has  supplied  the  New  York  market  with  more 
fruit  the  past  season,  we  think,  than  all  other  varieties 
combined. 

The  plant  is  very  vigorous— blossoms  pistillata. 

IOWA. 

The  Iowa,  or  Washington  as  it  is  familiarly  called  in 
Cincinnati,  is  a  wonderfully  productive  variety,  good 
size,  and  well  adapted  for  the  market.  Its  lack  of  high 
flavor,  and  pale  color,  will  prevent  its  becoming  a  favor- 
ite  among  amateurs. 

RIVAL  HUDSON. 

A  very  productive  market  fruit,  of  only  medium 
size,  and  rather  acid  flavor :  popular  near  Rochester. 
A  great  bearer.  A  writer  in  the  Cultivator  reports  133 
ripe  berries  from  a  single  root— pistillate. 

GENESEE   SEEDLING. 

A  large  and  very  handsome  fruit.  It  originated  with 
Messrs.  Elwanger  &  Barry.  The  plant  is  vigorous, 
with  long  stout  foot-stalks,  productive  for  a  staminate,     # 


«&« 


t 


«* 


SELECTION  OF  VAHIETIES. 


75 


and  of  good  medium  flavor.    It  seems  to  bo  growing 
in  favor  for  private  gardens. 


WILLEY. 

This  is  a  great  bearer  of  round,  medium-sized  fruit 

of  pleasant,  .sprightly,  although  not  high  flavor.    Thi.s 

and  Monroe  Scarlet  are  the  only  strawberries  I  have 

ever  seen  that  bear  apparently  in  clusters.     It  is  not 

nnusual  for  the  Willey  to  produce  sixty  and  seventy 

berries  on  a  plant,  and  should  never  be  cultivated  in 

masses.    It  is  solid  enough  for  market,  and  its  main 

detect  js  Its  size  and  second-rate  ilavor. 

PWNOESS  ALICE  MAUDE. 

A  handsome,  long,  oval,  English  fruit,  of  large  size, 
fair  productiveness,  and  medium  flavor.  It  is  unique 
m  appearance,  very  early,  and  in  the  vicinity  of 
WaAiugtoa  City  it  has  become  very  popular,  piofes- 
sor  Page  having  succeeded  in  inducing  it  to  adopt  tho 
ever-bsaring  habit.  Its  main  defects  are  moderate  pro- 
ducuvencss  and  want  of  high  flavor.  Staminate,  and 
good  for  market.    .. 

BOSTON  PINE. 

A  good  staminate  seedling  of  xAIr.  Hovey,  of  Boston, 

and  for  our  own  cultivation  we  should  give  it  a  very 

early  place  in  our  list;  but  ^vith  the  mass  of  cultiva- 

tors  It  IS  not  so  popular.     It  wants  the  best  clean  culti- 


i.*»ltfS^tfi:,r!-iv< 


76 


SELECTION  OF  VARIETIES. 


|i  ' 


vation,  with  every  plant  two  fe-t  apart  from  all  others, 
and  will  bear  richer  soil  than  almost  any  other  variety ; 
with  such  treatment  it  will  produce  n  good  crop  of 
Uiiiform^jr  large,  round,  handsome  fruit  of  high  flavor. 

BLACK  PRINCE. 
A  large,  handsome,  very  dark  crimson  or  blackish- 
purple  fruit,  of  English  parentage  and  pistillate  flowers. 
The  plants  are  vigorous  and  hardy,  quite  productive, 
usually  too  watery  and  insipid  in  flavor,  but  some- 
times we  have  found  it  to  be  of  the  richest  flavor.  A 
few  plants  are  worthy  of  a  place  in  most  private 
gardens. 

LIZZIE   RANDOLPH. 

A  very  large,  showy  fruit,  quite  productive,  but  of 
such  inferior  flavor  as  to  discourage  its  dissemination. 
It  is  pistillate,  and  originated  in  Philadelphia. 

SWAINSTONE   SEEDLING. 

An  English  staminate  of  the  highest  flavor  and 
great  beauty,  but  unfortunately  so  fickle  in  its  bearing 
habits  as  to  drive  it  from  all  but  the "  amateurs'  and  a 
few  of  the  best  nurserymen's  gardens. 

MYATT's  BRITISH  QUEEN 

A  splendid  English  variety  of  the  largest  size  and 
rielicst  flavor,  but  unfortunately,  in  this  country,  so 


•t' 


■• 


SELECTION   OF   VAIUETIES.  7}. 

few  of  the  bloHsom,  ordinarily  produce  fruit,  that  it  i, 
in  mo.st  ,,I,«.es  despaired  of  It  need,  tlie  best  eultiva- 
ton,  and  the  olunte  should  U)  allowed  plenty  of  room 

r.AHOE  WHITE  BICTON  PINE. 

,7"  /"'"^  '""S  °^»'  '^'-P^S  sometimes  flattened,  of 
the    nghest  flavor,  white  color,  with  a  bright  blush 

ohcelcononeside.  Itis<iuitcanovelty,a„d'provcsto 
be  n>ore  productive  than  ,vas  expected.  It  will  find  a 
place  .„  :nost  amateurs'  gardens  in  limited  quantitie.<. 

BAJiJi^S  NEW    WHITE 

Is  said  to  be  u,perior  to  the  above,  but  we  have  not 
ya  tned  It.  In  Boston  it  is  spoken  well  o£  A  friend 
assures  us  it  is  superior  to  the  Bicfon  Pine. 

PKOLIFIC  HAUTBOV. 

«^  val. .  If  rt  had  no  other  defect ;  is  a  very  vigorous 
plant,  p,,  ,,„„„g  i„„^^  ^^_^,_  ^^^^.^^^  ^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^ 

a  nch  but  very  peculiar  flav  .r,  agreeable  to  some,  hut 
the  revers(    to  others     Tf   ;.     *      •  , 

desirable.  "  ''''■''"'"''  "^^    ^^^^^7 

Jo  „,ig,u  continue  this  list,  and  enumerate  full 
one  hu.Klred  other  varieties  ™,V,;  .,  ....  u,...  .    , 
opportunity  Of  personally  testing;    i;^^  ^ 


78 


SELECTION  OF   VARIETIES. 


name  any  variety  possessing  any  superior  quality,  not 
possessed  in  an  equal  or  larger  degree  by  some  of  iho 
best  of  those  we  have  named ;  in  fact,  some  of  the 
varieties  wc  have  noticed  are  not  equal  to  other  varie- 
ties we  might  name,  of  our  own  seedlings  and  others ; 
and  wc  have  only  referred  to  them  because  they  are 
popular  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  and  sui)posed 
there  to  be  a  first-class  fruit. 

Many  of  our  horticultural  friends  and  nurserymen 
may  be  disappointed  that  we  have  not  referred  more 
extensively  to  their  favorites ;  in  answer  we  say,  wc 
do  not  suppose  them  superior  to  some  of  those  de- 
scribed. If  they  are,  they  will  soon  be  extensively 
proved  and  noticed.  Otlicrs,  we  do  not  personally 
know  anything  about,  which  are  not  merely  recom- 
mended by  individual  originators,  but  Horticultural 
Societies  of  the  highest  authority;  for  instance,  the 
new  seedling  "  Pennsylvania,"  of  Philadelphia,  and 
Scott's  Seedling,  &c.,  of  Boston,  Hooker's  seedling  of 
Eochester,  and  Lucy  Fitch  in  the  West.  A  seedling 
that  will  surpass  McAvoy's  Superior  in  average  size, 
productiveness,  and  good  flavor,  or  Hovey's  Seedling 
in  size  and  beauty,  or  Burr's  New  Pine  in  flavor,  pro- 
ductiveness, and  early  fruit,  and  Longwortb's  Prolific 
in  size,  beauty,  productiveness  and  flavor  as  an  herma- 
phrodite, has  got  to  be  an  extraordinary  fine  berry, 

./Ua  t/iiLiL  i.3  ii\^pc  iua>i  lb  iuaiy    DC  uuLUllieu. 


1 


I 


ANALYSIS.  79 

The  following  analysis  of  the  strawberry  plant 
(vines)  was  made  by  Mr.  Bilius,  Kirtland,  Ohio. 

In  IIG  grains  of  the  ashes  of  the  Gaudex  Straw- 
EERHY  he  found : 

^^^-^^^ 33.154 

^'"'^ 26.519 

Carbonic  Acid 23.008 

^^^Snesia ggog 

PhospLoric  Acid g  97(j 

^^^^«^ '.     6.117 

Charcoal  and  Sand 3  1Q3 

^'^'^^ !!!!!!'.  2.1U 

Perphosphate  of  Iron 1 515 

Sulphuric  Acid j  ^go 

Chlorine »,  g 

Organic  Matter  and  Loss 1^39 

116.000 

In  the  Annual  report  of  the  Progress  of  Chemistry 
and  allied  Sciences  for  1847  and  1848,  we  find  the 
following  analysis  of  the  Strawberry  by  Thomas 
Richardson  : 

THE  PLANT. 

^''''^ 38.65 

^'"^^ 12.20 

^'"«* 2.68 

Perphosphate  of  Iron ggg 

Magnesia _  o- 

• 0.00 

Phosphoric  Acid. , , «  -o 

I0.00 

^^^^^'"'^ 1.2s 


w 


®^  ANALYSIS. 

Soda 

Organic  Matter,  Loss,  &c ' ,^'^^ 

89  per  centw  of  Ash. 

100.00 

THE  FRUIT. 

Potash 

Lime....  ^'■'>' 

Soda..      "-^O 

Silica....; "■»» 

p„     ,      ^       12.05 

I'erphosphate  Iron 

Phosphoric  Acid [ ^^'^^ 

Sulphuric  Acid .'.' ^^' 

Chlorine '"" ^^^ 

Magnesia ^"^^ 

Trwe 

41  per  cent,  of  Ash.  ' 

lOi/.OO 

jae  great  variation  ia  these  analyses  is  probably  n-aial.  owin. 

te  greater  .ge  „,  the  vines  ia  one  case  than  the  other .  perl^ 

.omething  ,s  also  due  to  soil  and  cIim«te._ED 


THE  EASPBERRY. 


W  well-grov^n,  and  of  the  best  varieties,  this  is 
one  of  our  most  wholesome  and  excellent  fraits  It 
deserves  a  far  more  general  and  better  eultivation  than 
^usually  given  to  it;  and  its  free  use,  succeeding  the 
strawberry,  as  it  does,  would  doubtless  conduce  to  the 
general  health  as  well  as  luxury  of  the  community 
If  grown  without  care,  it -is  often  small,  hard,  and 

IT  M«  good  flavor;  but  when  highly  e„ltivat;d,  it 
s  large,  meltmg,  and  delicious.    It  will  repay  the  b  st 

ca  e  and  to  very  few  fruits  is  thi.  so  indispensable  as 

to  the  raspberry. 

A  rather  moi.t,  coo!  location,  on  the  north  slope  cf 

asme-n,  or3hadeofafence,istobechosen,and 
the  so.  should  be  deep  and  rich.  A  deep  lo.^m  ^ 
P.eferable,  but  other  soils  by  the  addition  of  bog  earth 
or  muck  can  be  made  to  answer  the  purpose ;  it  should 
be  well  broken  „p,  trenched  and  pulverized  to  the  depth 

vegetable,  if  convenient. 
4* 


82 


THE   RASPBERRY. 


in  ; 


w 


The  plants  should  be  shortened  ten  or  twelve  inches 
at  the  top,  and  set  out  very  earlj  in  the  spring,  at  a 
distance  of  three  to  four  feet  apart,  not  too  deep,  in  pure 
earth,  witli  a  good  proportion  of  the, roots  lying  near 
the  surface.     Keep  them  clean,  and  well  stakecl^  with 
not  more  than  three  or  four  canes  in  a  hill.   On  gather- 
ing  of  the  fruit,  cut  out  all  the  old  decayed  canes  and 
leave  not  more  than  six,  eight,  or  ten  of  the  strongest 
ones  in  a  hill  to  ripen  for  another  season  of  bearing, 
one-half  of  which  should  be  transplanted  in  the  fol' 
lowing  spring. 

On  the  first  of  September  pinch  back  the  most 
vigorous  shoots,  so  as  to  check  the  flow  of  sap  and 
ripen  the  wood. 

# 

WINTER   PBOTECTION. 

The  question  of  winter  protection  is  a  difficult  and 
important  one.  The  ordinary  custom  is  to  leave  them 
exposed  in  the  garden  to  the  severity  of  winter,  and, 
as  a  consequence,  the  Fastolf,  Franconia,  and  True 
Antweim's,  are  rendered  almost  worthless.  Even  in 
Kentucky,  those  choice  varieties  require  winter  protec- 
tion.  The  easiest  way  is  to  bend  the  canes  down  and 
cover  thcin  slightly  with  earth.  Some  tie  them  up 
m  a  withe  of  straw,  or  evergreen  boughs,  but  these 
are  not  always  sufficient. 


WINTER  PROTECTION.  50 

We  have  sometimes  taken  up  the  plants  m  the  fall,    * 
and  buried  them  in  sand,  and  on  the  earliest  opening 
of  spring  set  them  out  with  care,  and  in  this  way  have 
raised  extraordinary  crops ;  but  we  have  not  proved 
-  this  last  process  so  fully  as  to  incur  the  responsibility  of 
recommending  it.     It  would  require  to  be  very  care- 
fully  done,  so  as  to  preserve  all  the  fibrous  roots,  to- 
gether  with  the  advantage  of  favorable  soil,  for  it  to 
fiuccced  soAvell. 

The  raspberry  is  used  in  a  variety  of  ways,  viz. :  for 
the  hand,  the  table,  pies,  tarts,  jelly,  jam,  ices,  syrups, 
brandy,  wine,  and  vinegar. 

The  profits  of  production  are  very  large ;  often,  in 
the  vicinity  of  New  York,  selling  for  from  $500  to 
$G00  per  acre.  From  Milton,  Ulster  County,  it  is  said 
$10,000  worth  is  sent  everyyear  to  New  York  market. 
The  usual  price  is  about  one  shilling  per  pint. 

They  will  continue  in  bearing  some  five  or  six  years, 
but  will  not  be  in  perfection,  ordinarily,  until  the  third 
year  after  planting. 

We  will  name  but  a  few  established  varieties.  Dr. 
Brinckle,  of  Philadelphia,  and  some  others,  have  gained 
much  credit  with  their  fine  seedlings,  but  how  exten- 
sively  they  have  been  proved,  or  if  any  of  them  sur- 
pass  the  FcM/,  Franconia,  Aiitwerp,  &c.,  we  are  unable 
to  say.  The  -  Colonel  Wilder-  and  some  other  seed- 
Ungs  are  said  to  be  Derfoctly  hardy ;  and  if  that  is  the 


84 


III) 


I'UE  EASPBEIiny. 


FASTOLF. 

"*'  '=°^'="^'''  -^-^-^  ''  attained  a  Ligh  rlputa- 


THE  FASTOLP. 

Hon,  which  it  has  nobly  sustained  in  this  countr, 

we^Tut  it'""'  T.  '"'  '"'  ^  ™*'  '™^'  -  "^«'^t. 
v^eq.,  but  U  ,s  rather  soft,  and  of  rich  high  flavor,  and 


I 


Ill 


L- 


VARIETIES. 

ehe  f.ait  is  very  large,  of  a  bright  purplish  red  and 
a  largo  bearer.    It  requires  winter  proLtion. 


85 


IS 


FRANCONI. 

was  no ih  i     H  ""'  T  "'^'  "^'  "^  '•'^-"^ 
leaves  rathernarrow.  ^'     ^ 

RED  ANTWERP. 

This  variety  has  long 

been  the  standard  sort, 

both  in  this  country  and 

Europe,  and  is 'a  very 
fine    fruit.      So    many 
spumous  sorts  are  now 
«oId   under  this   name, 
that  it  is  difficult  to  ob. 
tain     the    genuine,    in 
»iany  places    The  Com  > 
"^'0^    Ked  Antwerp    is 


86 


THE   RASPBERRY. 


smaller  and  round ;  while  the  true  is  large,  regularly 
long  conical,  dull  red,  with  a  rich  sweet  flavor. 

The  canes  are  of  good  strength  when  well  cultivated, 
and  the  fruit  ripens  early  in  July. 

It  also  requires  winter  protection.  ■ 

YELLOW  ANTWERP. 

Much  resembles  the  Ked  Antwerp  except  in  color, 
and  is  a  very  handsome  and  excellent  fruit.    Whether 
Dr.  Brinckle's   new   seedlings,  Colonel   Wilder,  and 
Orange,  will  supersede  it  or  not,  as  Mr.  Elliott  sug 
gests,  we  are  unable  to  say. 

knevett's  giant 
We  have  sometimes  thought  this  -Variety  a  better 
bearer  than  the  Red  Antwerp^  but  we  do  not  know  as 


knevett's  giant. 


it  has  any  superiority  other  than  being  more  hardy. 


f 


^■^f'i^vS:": 


VARIETIES. 


87 


This,  liowevcr,  bears  a  mucli  larger  crop,  in  consc- 
quence  of  winter  protection. 

LARGE-FRUITED   MONTHLY. 

This  is  a  new  variety,  that  we  have  had  in  bearing 
in  our  garden  some  years,  and  have  often  gathered  a 
moderate  amount  of  fruit  from  it  in  S-^ptember  and 
October,  is  well  as  in  tlie  early  summer.  With  good 
cultivation  and  thorough  pruning,  it  produces  "full 
crops  of  fruit  of  the  character,  but  not  equal  to,  the 
Antwerps. 

OHIO  EVER-BEARJNG„ 

A  variety  of  the  American  Black,  which  has  for 
years  borne  us  several  crops  during  the  season,  of 
large,  good  fruit,  ripening  its  last  crop  amidst  the 
snows  and  frosts  of  November.  Some  of  our  New 
Jersey  markets  are  realizing  on  small  plots  at  the  rate 
of  from  six  to  eight  hundred  dollars  per  acre. 


THE   BLACKBERRY 


The  production  of  this  fruit  has  heretofore  been 
mostly  confined  to  the  woods  and  new  lands  of  our 
couiitrj.  In  our  former  residence,  Palmyra,  Western 
N(  sv  Y  ork,  from  time  immemorial,  almost,  the  market- 
women  have  made  their  appearance  every  two  or  three 
days  during  the  season,  with  wagon-loads  of  from 
fifuCim  to  thirty  bushels  of  blackberries,  which  they 
sold  at  the  prices  of  three,  four,  to  five  cents  per  quart. 
The  fruit  was  often  small,  hard,  and  nnripe,  similar  to 
much  that  is  sold  in  the  New  York  markets.  Some 
of  this  fruit  is  larger  and  finer  than  others,  and  for 
many  years  persons  have  been  trying  to  cultivate  and 
improve  upon  the  best  specimens  of  field  blackberries. 
Our  agricultural  friends  in  Massachusetts — particularly 
the  late  Captain  Lovett,  of  Beverly — have  been  among 
the  most  enterprising  and  successful  in  this  direction. 
The  ^^  Improved  High  Bush  Blaclcherry^^  of  Captain 
Lovett  has  often  been  noticed  with  marked  favor  by 
the  Massachuseits  Horticultural  fSocieiij,  as  being  a  long, 
egg-shaped,  shining,  black,  juicy,  and  rich  fruit,  with 
specimens  often  an  inch  and  a  half  long.     "We  have 

(88) 


THE  BLACKBERRY. 


89 


seen  handsome  and  excellent  fruit  of  this  variety,  not 
only  in  New  England,  but  also  in  Western  New  York, 
but  there  is  a  complaint  in  some  quarters  that  it  has  a 
tendency,  like  most  other  kinds,  to  deteriorate.  Many 
promising  varieties  from  the  woods  or  seedlings,  on 
being  cultivated,  have  scarcely  produced  a  '.jle  per- 
fect berry.  We  personally  know  of  but  one  decided 
exception. 

THE  LAWTON  BLACKBERRY, 

Or  New  Rochelle,  which  is  said  to  be  a  chance  seed- 
Hng  first  picked  up  by  the  wayside,  and  has  been  most 
successfully  cultivated  for  many  years  in  the  pleasant 
village  of  New  Eochelle,  near  New  York,  where  it 
was  discovered  to  have  extraordinary  vigor,  growth, 
size  and  uniform  productiveness. 

Our  attention  was  first  called  to  it  by  some  baskets 
of  the  fruit  presented  to  the  Farmers'  Club  of  the 
American  Institute  in  the  city  of  New  York  at  their 
regular  meetings  in  August,  1852  and  1853,  by  Wil- 
liam  Lawton,  Esq.,  an  amateur  cultivator,  of  Ne^ 
Eochelle,  who  stated  that  it  was  familiarly  known  in 
the  vicinity  as  the  "New  Rochelle  Blackberry." 

The  fruit  was  found  to  be  of  great  size,  uniformly 
so,  sixty  to  seventy  of  the  berries  filling  a  quart  meai- 
sure-very  few  seeds,  light  melting  pulp,  and  of  a 
delicious  flavor. 


90 


TUE  BLACKBERRY. 


THE  LAWTON  BLACKBERET. 


It  was  well  known  that  not  only  in  New  Roclielle, 
but  also  in  Morrisania,  and  the  open  lands  of  Long 
Island  were  filled  with  seedlings  of  greater  or  less 
excellence,  but  this  variety  so  far  surpassed  all  others 
known  to  the  Club  as  to  excite  their  admiration.  On 
account  of  the  liability  of  the  numerous  other  wild 


THE  BLACKBElv  UY. 


91 


varieties  in  New  ochclle  becoming  confounded  witli 
this,  the  Clul^  Ivcd  to  name  it,  distinctively,  "The 
Lawtou  Blackl  -rrj,"  in  honor  of  the  gentleman  intro- 
ducing it  to  them. 

AVe  havt;  had  frc'C[uent  opportuiiuies  of  giving  this 
variety  a  personal  examintion  in  various  places  and 
under  different  trciameh.,  and  particularly  in  the 
grounds  of  Mr.  Lawton,  where  there  arc  some  three 
acres  in  bearing. 

THE   CHAEACTERISTJ 

Of  it  are  a  hardy  vigorous  growth,  the  canes  are  often 
an  inch  in  diameter,  and  eight  to  twelve  feet  long, 
covered  with  laterals  well  loaded  with  fruit;  so  that  a 
single  stalk  will  produce  from  four  to  six  and  even 
eight  quarts,  and  the  canes  are  uniformly  full  of  large 
perfect  fruit  in  different  exposures  and  locations. 

Tlie  Fruit  is  of  regular,  large  size,  oval  shape,  hand- 
some, and  superior  flavor,  so  that  our  best  pomologists, 
after  a  trial  of  several  years,  do  not  hesitate  to  pro- 
nounce it  "  the  greatest  acquisition."  It  is  quite  certain 
it  has  not  deteriorated  in  the  last  eight  or  ten  years 
and  it  proves  to  be  entirely  hardy 

CULTIVATION. 
The  blackberry  rejoices  in  a  moist,  loamy  soil,  but 
will  grow  well  in  higher  exposures,  and  is  rather  bene- 
fited  by  a  little  shade  and  a  cool  northern  aspect. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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Corporation 


33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


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02 


THE  BLACKBERRY. 


When  thus  favored,  it  will  i)rolong  its  period  of  bear- 
ing  from  four  to  six  weeks.  Usual  good  garden  soil  is 
favorable  for  the  blackberry,  and  it  will  bear  being 
made  pretty  rich  with  manures  a^tor  the  first  year  and 
especially  with  muck  or  woods'-mould.  It  should  be 
transplanted  as  early  in  the  spring  as  possible,  or  in 
the  fall,  and  especial  care  should  betaken  of  its  fibrous 
roots  and  its  whole  general  culture  the  first  year,  and 
then  it  will  gi-ow,  produce  fruit,  and  propagate  itself 
rapidly. 

The  canes  which  come  up  one  season  will  bear 
fruit  the  next  and  then  die  in  the  autumn,  and  the 
dead  branches  must  be  carefully  removed  early  every 
spring,  in  order  to  make  room  for  the  new  ones  to 
take  their  place,  and  this  beautiful  process  of  reproduc- 
tion thus  goes  on ;  so  that  a  single  plant  set  out  in  a 
good  free  soU  will  send  up  two,  three,  or  four  plants, 
and  those  will  increase  to  a  score  or  more  the  follow- 
ing season  if  carefully  pruned  and  kept  clean. 

The  ends  of  the  canes  should  be  shortened  about 
one  quarter  early  in  the  spriug,  when  the  old  decayed 
ones  are  removed,  and  if  the  laterals  are  too  long  clip 
them  also.     They  usually  require  no  support. 

TRANSPLANTING. 

Particular  care,  we  think,  is  needed  in  transplantmg 
the  blackberry.  It  should  not  be  attempted  late  in  Iho 
spring,  otherwise  a  great  share  of  the  plants  will  hardly 


I 


THE  BLACKBKREV. 


93 


^urvive  the  proeos.    Mulcbin.  a.d  watering  arc  often 
useful  and  even  necessary  when  transplantin-. 

It  IS  well  to  set  the  plants  four  or  five  fee^  apart  in 
rows  that  are  eight  to  ten  feet  distant,  and  they  will 
soon  cover  the  ground,  and  thus  500  plants  will  .set  an 
acre     Some  large  growers  in   the  vicinity  of  New 
York  have  readily  contracted  their  entire  crop  for  the 
season  at  25  cents  to  37i  cents  per  quart.    We  have 
given  a  large  space  to  this  variety,  not  only  because  it  is 
Dew,  hut  because  we  believe  it  to  be  worthy  of  exten- 
^ve  cultivation  by  the  public,  both  as  amateurs  and  for 
the  market. 


NEEDHAM'S  IMPBOVED  WHITE  BLACKBERRY 

Is  a  great  bearer,  not  white,  but  with  a  blush  cheek 
and  not  of  good  quality  or  size  when  compared  with 
the  Lawton;  sometimes  it  fails,  but  wc  are  certified  tc 
.^stances  of  single  canes  producing  eight,  ten,  and  even 
eleven  quartsof  fruit,  such  as  it  is 

We  have  seen  the  wild  white  blackberry  growing 
m  the  woods,  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Ontario 
m  the  town  of  Ontario,  AVayne  County,  but  on  cult.-' 
va  ing  them  they  have  failed  to  produce  a  single  per- 
feet  berry.  This  has  been  the  case  also  with  L  L 
i'pec.mens  of  black  ones  grown  in  the  vicinity 


or 
O 


THE  CRANBERRY. 


The  culture  of  the  American  Cranberry  lias  become 
an  object  of  much  interest  and  importance.  It  grows 
freely  and  produces  its  fruit  readily  in  any  damp  situa- 
tion.  Pare  off  the  surface  of  a  swamp  or  bog-incadow, 
then  cover  the  surface  with  a  few  inches  of  sand,  set 
out  the  plants  12  or  18  inches  apart,  keep  them  clean, 
and  in  two  or  three  years  they  will  cover  the  surface 
of  the  ground,  and  produce,  say  60  bushels  the  first 
year,  100  the  second,  and  after  that  a  regular  crop  of 
150  to  400  bushels  per  acre. 

They  can  be  raised  upon  poor  uplands  by  first  cover- 
ing the  surface  with  sand  ;  set  them  out  and  keep  the 
ground  free  from  weeds.  Planting  can  be  done  from 
March  until  middle  of  May,  or  from  September  until  the 
ground  freezes.  The  black  cranberry  has  formerly  been 
considered  the  best  variety,  but  some  new  seedlings  exhi- 
bited the  past  season  promise  decidedly  to  surpass  it. 

A  new  work  just  issued  from  the  prolific  agricultu- 
ral publication  house  of  C.  M.  Saxton  &  Co.,  New  York, 
by  the  Eev.  B.  Eastwood  "  On  the  Cranberry,"  ren- 
ders  a  more  extended  notice  unnecessary  in  this  place 

(94) 


THE  CURRANT. 


Tins  ,s  one  of  the  most  valuable  of  all  our  small 
fruits.  It  can  be  used  to  such  advantage  in  a  variety 
of  ways,  whether  in  a  green  or  ripe  state,  and  it  is  so 
easily  grown,  that  it  is  indispensable  in  every  small 
garden. 

It  is  a  native  of  Great  Britain,  and  therefore  per- 
fectly  hardy.    In  a  green  stato  it  is  used  in  pies,  tarts, 
&e.  stewed  like  goosebemes.    When  ripe,  it  is  much 
used  as  a  table  fruit,  with  plenty  of  sugar;  but  it  is 
almost  universally  used  in  a  jelly  that  is  both  delicious 
and  wholesome.    It  also  makes  an  excellent  wine,  at  a 
cost  of  not  more  than  two  or  three  shillings  a  gallon. 
The  Black  Currant  is  chiefly  used  in  a  jam  or  jelly 
Currants  ripen  in  midsummer,  and  if  protected  from 
the  sun  will  remain  on  the  bushes  until  October. 

This  fruit  is  very  easily  cultivated,  and  it  will  grow 
and  bear  in  almost  any  fair  soil;  fresh  maiden  earth  is 
best  for  treatment.  The  usual  way  is  to  allow  the 
suckers  to  spring  up  around  the  original  plant,  until 
It  has  become  a  matted  clamp  of  bushes,  but  this  is  a 
bad  practice  every  way.    The  suckers  uniformly  pro- 

(M) 


I 


■RE 


96 


THE  CURRANT. 


duce  poor  and  small  fruit,  and  should  never  bo  per- 
mitted  to  grow. 

The  best  way  of  propagating  the  currant  is  to  cut 
off  in  the  early  spring,  before  the  buds  swell,  the 
growth  of  the  last  year,  close  to  the  old  wood ;  make 
the  cuttings  one  foot  long ;  remove  all  the  eyes  except 
some  three  or  four  at  the  top  of  the  cutting,  to  prevent 
suckers;  then  place  it  compactly  in  good  sandy  soil  to 
half  its  depth,  or  six  inches,  and  by  good  care  in  one 
year  it  will  be  sufficiently  established  for  transplant- 
ing.    In  new,  rare  varieties,  it  can  be  more  rapidly 
increased  by  layering,  where  the  first  branches  have 
been  allowed  to  grow  near  the  surface  of  the  earth.    It 
should  always  be  cultivated  in  the  form  of  small  bush 
trees,  and  by  a  skilful  hand  can  be  easily  made  to 
assume  a  handsome  pyramidal  or  espalier  form.    All 
supci-fluous  wood  should  be  carefully  pruned  out  every 
winter,  and  the  plant  invigorated  with  rich  manure  in 
the  spring.     The  currant  and  gooseberry  can  hardly  be 
over-fed.    Each  bush  should  be  renewed  ever    six  or 
eight  years,  as  young  vigorous  plants  of  most  fruits 
produce  the  largest  and  best  specimens.    It  will  bear 
very  well  partially  shaded  by  trees  or  shrubbery,  yet 
the  fruit  will  be  the  richest  and  best  flavored  with  plenty 
of  air  and  sun,  and  therefore  a  southern  aspect  is 
desirable. 


I 


VARIETIES. 


97 


VARIETIES. 

be^  Black  Crrants,  of  excellent  flavor,  and  bL  large 
^ustcrs  of  fru,t,  often  five-eightha  of  an  inch  in  dia.; 

Tn  ■     Z"'"  '^'°  ^"'^'"''^^'-    Tiie  Black  English 

IS  quite  inferior.  ° 

The  WuiTE  and  Bed  Dutch  are  our  most  popular 
vanet.es  They  are  large,  good  flavor  and  proluott 
The  whUe  .s  the  mildest.  They  are  decidedly  better 
tiian  the  common  currant. 

The  White  and  Bed  Gi,^pe  do  not  vary  but  a  little 
trom  the  above. 

CiiERRj  OtTRRAKT.-The  largest  Of  all  redevurants: 
qmte  ..cid;  short  clusters;  moderate  bearer;  color 
dark-red;  strong  grower;  thick,  dark-green  foliage-' 
new,  from  Italy.  Somethnes  seven-eighths  of  an  inch 
m  diameter. 

May's  Victoria,  or  Houghton  Castle;  large  and 
very  long  bunches;  late,  and  rather  acid;  moderate 
bearer;  plant  vigorous. 

Knig„t's  Sweet  Bed,  cMefly  valuable  for  its  mild 
pleasant  flavor,  similar  in  quahty  to  the  White  Dutch, 
and  productive. 


'  n 


T 


98 


THE  CURRANT. 


Li.RGEST  White  Provence,  the  largest  White 
Currant,  often  full  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diame- 
ter; short  bunches,  and  quite  acid;  a  good  bearer; 
quite  attractive ;  new,  from  France.  We  are  pleased 
with  it  in  our  own  garden. 


*  I 


THE  GOOSEBERRY. 


Ko  fruit  is  easier  of  propagation  than  the  goose- 
berry,  and  it  should  find  its  place  in  every  garden. 

It  should  be  protected  from  suckers,  like  the  currant, 
and  like  that  it  loves  a  fresh,  deep,  rich,  moist  soil  of 
a  soft,  loamy  texture ;  it  can  scarcely  be  too  much  en- 
riched  with  cooling  manures.    The  north  side  of  an 
open  fence  or  hedge  wiU  do  well  for  it,  but  it  should 
not  be  placed  under  the  shade  of  trees ;  open  ground 
IS  far  better.     It  should  be  so  carefully  and  thoroughly 
pruned  as  to  admit  the  air  and  light  freely,  and  it  is 
well  to  train  it  up  into  little  upright  bushes  or  small 
trees.     Summer  as  well  as  winter  pruning  is  often 
necessary  to  admit  sun  and  air. 

The  English  varieties  are  much  subject  to  mildew  in 
this  country.  Mr.  WUliam  Newcomb,  of  Pittstown, 
N.  Y.,  a  very  successful  horticulturist,  wrote  me  that 
he  always  in  the  spring  placed  three  inches  of  hog- 
manure  under  every  bush,  and  raised  the  best  English 
varieties  in  that  way  in  the  greatest  abundance  and 


■j-f; 


'■,  ''J 


.  w- 


100 


TlIJi   G00SEI3ERRr. 


perfection,  without  its  being  affected  in  the  least  by 
the  mildew. 

Mr.  D.  Haines,  near  Elizabethtown,  N.  J.,  informs 
me  that  he  cultivates  Woodward's  Whitesmith  most 
successfully  by  removing  a  few  inches  of  the  surface- 
earth,  cwery  spring,  under  every  bush,  and  filling  the 
space  with  salt  hay,  which  he  covers  with  the  earth  ; 
thus  affording  protection  from  drought,  and  perfectly 
exempting  the  fruit  from  mildew.  Others  find  a  remedy 
in  sprinkling  ashes  on  the  bushes  when  the  dew  is  oa. 
The  ashes  also  benefit  the  plant.     Any  good  mulch  of 
tan  bark,  saw-dust,  &c.,  of  three  inches  deep,  would 
answer  nearly  the  same  purpose  as  salt  hay.     Sprink- 
ling the  bushes  in  the  spring  freely  with  soap-suds  also 
has  a  good  effect  on  their  growth,  and  often  protects 
them  from  mildew.   The  bushes  should  be  transplanted 
in  April  or  late  in  October  or  November,  and  pruned 
back  and  set  at  a  distance  of  about  three  feet,  like  the 
currant.     If  any  large  fruit  is  wanted,  the  fruit  must 
be  thinned  out.     The  Encijdopoedia  of  Gardening  says 
of  the  famous  growers  in  Lancashire,  England,  who 
produce  the  largest  fruit  in  the  world :  "  To  effect  this 
increased  size,  every  stimulant  is  applied  that  their 
ingenuity  can  suggest ;  they  not  only  annually  manure 
the    soil    richly,  but  also  surround  the  plants  with 
trenches  of  manure  for  the  extremities  of  the  roots  to 
strike  into,  and  form  around  the  stem  of  each  plant  a 


THE  GOOSEBEKKY.  jqj 

basin,  to  be  mulehed,  or  manured,  or  watered,  as  ma, 
be  necessary.  *       ^^y 

prize's  '"n  "■"'"  "'"'  *^^  "^"^  ^"^'''-^  *oir 
pnze  fru.t.    By  prepanng  a  very  rich,  cool  soil,  and  by 

atonng,  and  by  the  use  of  liquid  manure,  shadin.  and 

tootl  T  T"' "'"'  "^'"'"^  "'  ™<"  -d  over  the 
top  the  Lancashire  connoisseur,  when  he  is  growing  for 
exh,bu,o„,  places  a  small  saucer  of  water  under  ea^ 
gooseberry  only  three  or  four  of  which  he  leaves   la 

tree ,  this  he  technically  calls  suckling  " 
The  gooseberry  tree  needs  to  be  kept  constanUy  in 

«  vigorous  condition,  and  then  it  wm.produce  an 

abundance  of  good  fruit 

It  should  be  propagated  from  cuttings  of  the  wood 
of  the  present  year,  prepared  and  set  out  early  in  Sep 
tember,  and  transplanted  in  October  of  next  year  or 

Z'  T'  T  *«  ^°'-™S  ^P^g;  and  should  b 
pruned  in  June  and  November,  and  renewed  ever, 
five  or  sux  years.    The  short  stout  growth  from  the 

"^t^hsxr^"^^^-^----- 

:~::rrr:i-i— :: 

-|d  „po  are  very  excellent  and  acceptable  for   the 
T   -  i^and.    Says  Mr  Downing :  "As  a  luxury  fo 
the  poor,  Mr.  Loudon  considers  this  the  most  valu^able 


102 


TIIK   GOOSEBERUr. 


\  y 


of  all  fruits,  since  it  can  be  grown  in  less  space,  in 
more  unfavorable  circumstances,  and  brought  sooner 
into  bearing  than  any  other." 

Books  and  catalogues  arc  fdled  with  the  longest  lista 
of  names  of  different  kinds  of  the  gooseberry,  but 
afte/  expeiimenting  with  many  of  them  for  years,  and 
observing  them  under  various  circumstances,  wo  We 
prepared  to  narrow  our  list  down  to  a  very  few  kinds, 
— as  we  have  studied  to  do  with  the  other  fruits — 
which  we  think  combine  the  size,  flavor,  and  produc- 
tiveness of  allj  at  least  for  ordinary  cultivation. 


crompton's  siieba  queen. 

This  is  the  largest  and  best  flavored  of  all  the 
Englirih  varieties  we  have  seen.  Our  attention  was  at- 
tracted to  it  some  years  since  by  the  favorable  reports 
and  first  premium  of  the  Albany  Horticultural  Society, 
through  the  accurate  chairman  of  its  Fruit  Committee, 
Dr.  Ilerman  L.  Wendell,  who  says  of  it,  "  This  is  de- 
cidedly the  richest  and  most  delicious,  as  well  as  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  berries  we  have.  It  is  larger  in 
size  than  any  of  the  others ;  obovate  form ;  white,  clear 
color ;  very  pleasant,  rich,  and  luscious  in  its  flavor, 
and  erect  in  its  growth.    It  requires  a  deep,  rich,  and 


VARIETIES. 


108 


well-drained,  as  well  as  cool  soil"  In  other  locaticns  it 
sustains  the  same  high  character  there  given  of  it,  and 
we  have  found  it  decidedly  the  best  in  our  own  garden. 


woodward's  whitesmith. 
This  is  another  large,  beautiful,  and  excellent  Eng- 
lish variety— very  productive,  and  is  usually  over  one 
inch  in  length.    The  color  is  white,  and  tree  of  erect 
habit. 

Roaring  Lion  and  Crown  Bob  Warrington  are  r  lio 
large,  good  varieties  of  red  color. 

Golden  Drop  and  Yellow  Lion  are  fine  yellow  kinds. 

Green  Laurel,  Conquering  Hero,  and  Green  Willow, 
green  varieties. 

We  might  name  a  great  number  of  varieties  nearly 
as  good,  but  do  not  know  that  any  benefit  could  be 
derived  from  it. 

Houghton's  seedling. 

An  American  seedling  of  very  vigorous  habit,  great 
bearer,  and  said  never  to  mildew.  It  is  of  pale  red 
color,  rather  under  medium  size ;  of  good,  rich  flavor, 
and  well  worthy  of  cultivation. 

We  have  also  cultivated  for  some  years  an  American 
seedling  variety  resembling  Houghton's  Seedling  in 
every  respect,  except  being  of  larger  size,  and  greenish- 
white  color.    It,  is  very  valuable. 


t 


!  '! 


THE  GRAPE. 


It  has  often  been  asserted— -we  know  not  with  how 
much  of  truth— that  in  the  vine  districts  of  France, 
lung  disenses  are  unknown;  but  this  we  do  now,  that 
the  free  use  of  well-grown  and  well-ripened  grapes 
would  be  decidedly  beneficial  to  the  general  health. 
The  cultivation  of  this  excellent  fruit  embraces  a  very 
wide  range.    In  the  first  place,  there  is  the  very  nice 
process  of  raising  hot-house  grapes :  next,  the  cold 
vineiy,  which  is  simple  and  easy  to  be  practised;  next, 
vineyard  cultivation :  but  it  will  not  be  expected  of  us, 
in  this  brief  notice,  \o  more  than  refer  to  the  common 
mode  of  out-door  garden  culture.    The  grape  is  easily 
and  cheaply  raised,  but  good  cultivation  is  altogether 
the  best  economy.    It  is  easily  propagated  from  cut- 
tings.    We  have  found  it  the  best  way  to  prune  oft 
our  cuttings  early  in  February,  two  feet  in  length, 
bury  th«m  in  a  bundle  four  or  six  inches  deep  in  the 
ground  immediately,  and  for  this  purpose  we  choose 
the  warmest  wnnt.lipr  in  fTio  ryl/^T^+^, 

(104) 


THE  GRAPE. 


105 


Let  them  be  in  the  ground  tUl  the  warm  weather  in 
the  fore  part  of  May :  we  then  take  them  up  and  plant 
them  in  a  sloping  position,  in  a  somewhat  shaded 
situation,  leaving  the  upper  bud  a  few  inches  above 
ground.  In  this  way  almost  every  cutting  will  surely 
grow,  and  after  a  year  or  two,  should  be  carefully 
transplanted  into  the  vine  border. 

The  preparation  of  this  vine  border  is  an  important 
process  in  grape  culture  in  private  gardens.  It  should 
be  made  from  four  to  six  feet  wide,  and  two  to  three 
feet  deep,  and  be  composed  of  a  liberal  mixture  of 
limestone,  or  old  plaster  or  mortar,  bones,  leather- 
parings,  hair,  -^shes,  and  strong,  well-rotted  manure, 
well  mixed  with  the  soil. 

A  calcareous  soil  or  gravelly  loam  is  best  for  the 
grape,  and  should  be  well  drained  and  warm.     "The 
essence,"  says  Downing,  "of  all  that  can  be  said  in 
grape  culture  respecting  soil,  is  that  it  be  dry,  light, 
deep,  rich:'    It  is  somewhat  difficult  in  wet  clay  lands 
to  raise  good  grapes,  unless  the  vine  border  is  carefully 
prepared.    Soap-suds  and  wash  from  the  hou-3  is  favor- 
able for  the  grape,  and  we  have  known  some  plants 
succeed  well  that  were  placed  immediately  under  the 
spout  of  the  sink.    For  vineyard  culture,  the  nearer 
the  process  approximates  to  the  one  described  above 
by  trenching  r.nd  enriching,  the  better. 
Every  plant  should  be  thcr 


6* 


jhly  pruned  down  to 


0- 


m 


a 


IM 


106 


THE  GEAPE. 


two  or  three  leading  shoots ;  and  after  these  cover  the 
trellis  or  stakes  as  extensively  as  you  wish,  then  the 
rule  in  pruning  is,  every  year  from  December  to  first 
of  February,  fearlessly  to  cut  back  all  of  the  last  year's 
growth,  so  far  as  to  leave  only  two  eyes.    It  is  also 
desirable,  after  the  grapes  are  beginning  to  fill  in  June, 
to  pinch  back  the  terminal  bud  of  every  branch,  and 
^thus  check  its  growth,  and  throw  back  its  sap,  to  ripen 
ihe  fruit  and  mature  the  wood.    By  pinching  back,  we 
mean,  to  pinch  off  with  the  thumb-naU  and  fore-finger 
•the  end  of  every  bearing  branch,  and  we  then  cut  out 
all  the  superfluous  little  shoots  and  suckers. 
^  The  vine  is  composed  the  greater  part  of  potash, 
lime,  and  carbonic  acid,  and  therefore  a  frequent  appli- 
-cation  of  ashes,  lime,  and  soap-suds  is  beneficial.    It 
has  been  asserted  that  tartaric  acid  is  a  valuable  spe- 
cific for  the  fruit,  but  of  this  we  have  no  personal 
knowledge. 

The  grape  should  always  be  gfbwn  in  the  warmest 
and  most  sheltered  situation,  so  that  the  fruit  may 
ripen  well  before  frost.  The  south  side  of  a  house,  or 
southern  slope  of  a  side-hill,  should  be  chosen. 

In  some  places  the  mildew  is  troublesome  to  the 
grape,  but  sulphur  sprinkled  liberally  on  its  first  ap- 
pearance  will  usually  check  it  at  once.  There  is  also 
a  kind  of  snail  slug  which  often  destroys  the  leaves  in 
a  few  weeks.   These  can  easily  be  destroyed  by  shower. 


VABIETIES. 


107 


ing  the  vines  two  or  tliree  times  with  strong  soap-suds 
from  the  wash. 

Our  nurserymen  have  many  kinds  of  the  grape  on 
their  lists  for  open-air  cultivation,  but  we  are  not  quite 
sure  that  the  Isahem  and  CaUiwha  do  not  comprise  sub- 
stantiall J  the  good  qualities  of  aU  The  only  complaint 
against  them  seems  to  be,  they  will  not  in  all  situations 
and  all  seasons  at  the  North  ripen  before  the  frost. 

The  Isabella  is  the  well-known  and  most  popular 
grape  North.  It  is  a  most  vigorous  grower,  hardy, 
an  immense  bearer,  large  size,  black  oval,  and  when 
ripe,  juicy,  sweet,  musky,  and  rich.  Ripens*well  aa 
far  north  as  forty-three  degrees  of  latitude. 

The  Catawba  does  not  always  ripen  well  so  far 
north  as  fortythfee  degrees.  Otherwise  it  would  rival 
the  Isabella.  It  has  large  berries,  copper-colored,  with 
afresh  bloom,  flesh  a  little  pulpy;  juicy,  sweet,  aro- 
matic,  musky,  and  rich,  productive  and  hardy.  It 
requires  a  warm  soil  and  sheltered  location  north  of 
New  York  to  perfect  its  fruit,  and  then  it  is  truly  deli- 
cious. 


if,  J 


i 


The  Clinton  is  two  weeks  earlier  than  the  Isabella, 
but  it  is  not  near  so  large  or  good. 


!i 


I 


% 


108 


THE  GRAPE. 


We  are  m  great  want  of  a  new  seedling  grape  equal 
or  superior  to  the  Isabella  and  Catawba,  and  decidedly 
two  or  three  weeks  earlier.  We  often  have  such  an- 
nounced,  but  they  do  not  always  prove  satisfactory. 

The  Concord  is  a  large,  handsome  grape,  newly 
onginated  by  Mr.  Bull,  of  Concord.  It  resembles  the 
Isabella  in  appearance,  is  about  two  weeks  earHer, 
and  on  that  account  an  acquisition ;  is  of  good  flavor,' 
although  not  equal,  we  think,  to  that  grape  in  flavor! 
It  IS  a  little  shade  foxy. 

Th^Piana  is  a  pleasant  new  grape,  resembling  the 
Catawba  in  color  and  flavor,  of  smaller  size  and  some 
two  or  three  weeks  earlier. 

The  Black  Madeira  is  a  small  pleasant  wine 
grape.  Farther  south,  the  Bland,  Ohio,  Herlermnfs, 
irorton\  ^mte  Scuppemong,  Warren,  <£•<,.,  are  popular: 


llpenHr. 


m 

Hi 


M 


119 


.  f. 


« I 


APPENDII. 


APPENDIX  A. 


THE    STEAWBEBEY    AND   ITS   CULTUBE 

BT  CBAEI^  A.  PEiBODr,  or  eoWMBCB,  OBO. 

That  eminent  horticulturists  are  liable  to  be  mistaken 
m  their  views  of  culture,  as  well  as  of  the  origin  and 
history  of  plante,  as  any  other  class  of  men,  we  have 
ample  proof  in  the  conflicting  opinions  of  the  nature 
and  culture  of  the  strawberiy.    Downing  says  •  "  The 
strawberry  is  the  most  delicious  and  most  wholesome 
of  all  hemes,  and  the  most  univeisally  cultivated  in 
all  gardens  of  a  northern  climate."    Again  he  says: 
The  strawberry  properly  belongs  to  cold  climates, 
and  though  well  known,  is  of  comparatively  Ktle  value 
in  the  south  of  Europe."    With  this  high  authority 
the  horticulturists  of  the  South  never  dreamed  of  ciU- 
tivatmg  the  strawberry  to  any  extent,  although  the 
woods  and  fields  were  covered  with  the  wild  fruit     It 
was  a  knowledge  of  the  fact  th-vt  the  wild  strawbern^ 

(HI) 


112 


APPENDIX. 


grew  all  around  me,  that  induced  me  to  try  strawberry 
culture  at  the  South.  I  do  not  believe  there  is  a  plant 
in  nature  that  so  easily  adapts  itself  to  soil,  situation, 
and  climate,  as  the  strawberry.  In  many  of  its  homes, 
however,  it  produces  little  or  no  fruit,  spreading  itself 
ra])idly  by  its  runners. 

Now,  as  there  are*  two  ways  of  propagating  the 
strawberry,  one  by  its  seeds  and  the  other  by  its  run- 
ners, the  question  is,  which  method  do  we  prefer  ?  If 
we  were  going  to  introduce  the  strawberry -leaf  for  a 
tea,  for  which  it  makes  a  good  substitute,  common 
sense  would  dictate  to  us  to  cultivate  for  runners,  and 
stop  the  fruiting,  or  perfecting  the  seed,  as  the  fruit  is 
nothing  more  than  the  receptacle  for  the  seed  ;  and  if, 
on  the  other  hand,  we  wish  seeds  or  fruit,  we  must 
cultivate  for  that  purpose  alone,  and  stop  the  runners. 

Intelligent  experimental  cultivators  have  long  since 
discovered  that  plants  have  a  specific  food  for  their 
wood,  leaves,  and  fruit.  Physiologists  know  full  well 
that  it  takes  different  substances  to  form  the  bones, 
flesh,  and  muscles  of  animals ;  and,  profiting  by  these 
hints  in  nature,  I  would  feed  for  fruit  instead  of  vines. 
Before  planting  out  the  vines,  the  cultivator  should 
understand  the  sexual  character  of  the  plants,  as  upon 
a  proper  knowledge  of  this  fact  will  depend  his  whole 
success  in  culture.  That  plants  are  staminate  and  pis- 
tillate, or  mnlft  nnd  fj^malfi  no  intpilliorpnt,  miltivntor  will 


118 


APPENDIX. 

now  presume  to  deny.    But  in  the  strawbeny  there 
are  three  varieties-th.  perfect  male,  the  perfect  female, 
and  the  hermaphrodite.      The  perfect  pistillate,   or 
female,  is  the  most  productive  of  the  three,  when  im- 
pregnated  by   one  of  the  other  kinds.     The  perfect 
Btammate,  or  male,  produces  no  fruit,  making  a  great 
sho^v  of  flowers,  and  sending  out  innumerable  runners 
which  will  soon  take  possession  of  the  whole  bed 
The  hermaphrodite  produces  fruit,  but  not  in  so  great 
abundance  as  the  pistillate,  and  answers  the  purpose  of 
an  impregnator  equallyas  well  as  the  purely  staminate. 

Ihese  three  varieties  of  flowers  are  represented  by  Fi<.s 
1,  2,  and  3,  page  51.  °' 

Fig.  lis  from  an  hermaphrodite  plant,  which  blooms 
^d  impregnates  itself.    The  stamens,  marked  a,  are 
fuUof  afine  pollen,  or  yellow  powder,  which  falling 
on  the  end  of  the  unopened  calyx  of  the  bnds,  below 
the  flower,  or  around  it,  on  the  pistillate  plants,  is 
carried  by  an  unseen  agency  direct  to  the  pistil,  im- 
pregnating and  setting  the  fruit.    This  variety  is  the 
E^ly  Scarlet,  a  continuous  bloomer  with  my  culture 
and  he  best  impregnator  for  the  ever-bearing  Hove; 
Seedling  I  have  ever  met. 

Kg.  2  is  the  sterile  staminate,  or  male  plant,  never 
producing  fruit  under  any  circumstances  whatever.  It 
will  be  observed  the  flower  is  larger  and  more  sho,vy 
t^  .he  otners.    It  deceives  many  an  inexperienced 


114 


APPENDII. 


I 


cultivator  with  its  false  promises  of  fruit.  The  flower 
of  the  pure  male  may  be  easily  known  by  its  large 
anthers  and  stamens,  as  marked  a,  5,  in  Fig.  2. 

Fig.  3  is  the  pistillate  or  female  blossom.  It  will  be 
observed  that  there  are  no  stamens  around  the  pistil,  as 
b,  but  nearly  every  bud  will  produce  a  berry  if  impreg- 
nated by  one  of  the  staminate  or  hermaphrodite  plants. 
Of  this  variety  is  the  Hovey  Seedling,  which,  as  far  as 
my  e:}^perience  goes,  is  the  best  strawberry  ever  yet 
cultivated,  North  or  South. 

Before  proceeding  to  the  method  of  culture,  I  will 
give  my  views  of  th«  time  of  impregnation,  being  fully 
satisfied  that  the  generally  received  opinion  that  the 
strawberry  is  impregnated  after  the  petals  expand,  is 
entirely  erroneous.  I  have  long  since  observed  that 
the  first  strawberry  blossoms  never  produce  fruit.  The 
staminate  varieties,  or  rather  the  hermaphrodite,  open 
from  two  to  ten  blossoms,  which  must  shed  their  pollen 
on  the  ends  of  the  unopened  calyx  of  the  young  buds 
below,  or  fall  on  the  ends  of  the  unopened  pistillate 
buds,  and  immediately  cause  impregnation. 

The  pollen  of  flowers  is  one  of  the  most  volatile 
substances  in  nature.  That  of  the  strawberry,  viewed 
through  a  microscope,  is  a  hairy  substance,  which, 
upon  ripening,  bursts  and  floats  oif  on  the  least 
breath  of  air.  The  point  of  the  unopened  calyx 
contains  a  erlutinoua  matter.  wTn'p.Ti  pntpTipa  nnA  "hrxlAq 


APPENDIX. 


116 


tUs  hairy  pollen,  and  the  work  of  impregnation  is 
done ;  and  when  the  calyx  opens,  and  the  petals  ex- 
pand, the  young  strawberry  may  be  seen  perfectly 
formed.    From  this  will  be  seen  the  importance  of  the 
pistiUate  and  staminate  varieties  blooming  together.    I 
would  always  prefer  the  pistillate  plant  for  a  large  fruit 
crop;  for,  if  properly  impregnated,  nearly  every  bud 
will  be  a  berry.     Thousands  of  blossoms  will  be 
found  in  the  beds  to  correspond  with  Figures  2  and  3. 
Fig.  2,  let  it  be  recollected,  is  a  staminate  or  male 
flower,  and  Fig.  8  an  impregnated  pistillate  or  female 
flower,  neither  of  which,  by  itself,  can  ever  make  fruit. 
Having  now  explained  the  sexual  character  of  the 
plant,  and  the  time  of  impregnation,  I  will  proceed  to 
the  culture.    As  I  have  before  stated,  were  I  to  culti- 
vate for  vines  alone,  I  would  stimulate  the  plants  by 
the  most  active  fertHizers ;  but  if  fruit  be  the  object, 
the  luxuriance  of  the  vine  must  be  curtailed,  and  that 
food  only  known  as  the  special  food  of  the  fruit  given. 
Now  as  to  soils.    There  are  as  many  opinions  as  cul 
tivators,  from  the  fact  that  the  strawberry  adapts  itself 
to  almost  any  kind  of  soil.    But  the  soil  which  I  have 
found  to  suit  them  best,  is  a  sandy  loam.   I  would  pre- 
fer new  land  for  the  beds,  with  a  stream  of  water 
running  through  them,  as  water,  being  an  indispensable 
requisite,  should  be  in  the  vicinity. 
It  is  now  well  known   throughout  the   Southern 


*M 


I' 


If  ■■ 


116 


APPENDIX. 


States  that  for  many  years  I  have  cultivate.!  tbe 
strawberry  extensively,  and  have  had  from  my  bods 
a  constant  succession  of  fruit  six  months  in  the  year, 
and  frequently  have  it  ten.     While  I  am  now  writing,' 
(December  24),  one  of  my  beds,  of  an  acre,  is  loaded 
with  ripe  fruit,  specimens  of  which  I  have  sent  lo  New 
Orleans,  Montgomery,  Savannah,  Charleston,  Afobile, 
and  New  York.     This  bed  has  scarcely  produced  a 
runner  the  past  season.    The  causes  of  this  will  bo 
found  in  my  method  of  culture.     I  have  said  that  I 
prefer  a  sandy  soil  and  new  land.    My  grounds  are  on 
what  are  called  "piney  woodlands,"  hill  and  valley, 
with  never-fiuling  streams  meandering  through  them! 
I  have  taken  the  grounds  bordering  on  the  streams, 
ploughed  them  deep,  and  laid  them  off  in  rows,  two 
feet  apart,  and  planted  as  indicated  in  the  annexed 

Early  Scarlet. 

Hovey's. 

Hovey's. 

Ilovey's. 

Ilovey's. 

ITovev  V. 

Hovey's. 
Early  Scarlet. 
I  ploiit  the  pistillate  for  fruit,  and  the  hermaphrodite 
for  impic^^-uatorc;    and  the  only  two  which  I  haye 


diagram  :- 

— 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

» 

« 

* 

* 

* 

« 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

APPENDIX.  ij^j 

found  to  bloom  and  fruit  together  the  whole  season 
MO   the  Ilovey  SoedUng    and   Large  Early  Scarlet 
Boss  I'hccnix,  Bun  s  Nc^v  Pine,  and  a  seedling  of  my 
own,  not  yet  fully  tested,  I  have  also  cau.sed  to  bear 
continuously.    1  plant  seven  rows  of  the  pistillate,  and 
one  row  of  the  hermaphrodite,  two  feet  apart  e,-.eh 
way.   The  first  season  I  let  the  runners  till  the  ground  • 
»■!  the  fall,  go  through  the  grounds  with  hoes,  thinning 
out  to  eight  or  ten  inches,  leaving  the  vines  to  decay 
just  where  they  are  cut  up.    I  then  cover  the  whole 
bed  w,th  partially  decomposed  leaves  from  the  woods 
or  swamps.     The  winter  rains  beat  down  the  leaves, 
the  fru>t.germ  finds  its  w..y  through  them,  and  the  first 
imld  weather  of  spring  the  blossoms  appear. 

I  have  before  spoken  of  the  volatile  nature  of  the 
pollen.    In  very  dry  weather  the  particles  float  off  on 
the  winds,  and  much  is  lost  to  the  buds  below;  hence 
the  importance  of  watering  freely  when  in  bloom 
Ji-ee  applications  of  water  will  set  the  whole  bed  with 
fruit,  which  will  require  continuous  watering  to  swell 
and  ripen  it.    A  strawberry  bed  may  be  moist,  the 
plants  m  fine  condition,  and  yet  one  good  shower  will 
make  a  difl^orence  of  one-third  in  the  quantity  of  fruit 
picked  the  day  after.     Consequently,  in  dry  seasons, 
artificial  watering  must  be  resorted  to,  and  no  labor 
will  pay  belter. 

I  never  use  animal  manure  of  any  kind— nothing 


»:.i 


,1 


118 


APPENDIX. 


■i 


but  the  leaf-moLild,  and  an  occasional  sprinkling  of 
wood-aslies.     The  leaf-mould  keeps  tlie  ground  cool 
and  moist,  as  well  as  the  fruit  dean,  and  does  not 
stimulate  the  vines  to  runners.     The  potash  and  acids 
contained  in  it  are  just  what  the  fruit  wants.     Should 
the  vines  be  disposed  to   spread,  keep  the  runners 
down  by  constant  pinching  off,  and  clear  out  the  grass 
and  weeds  with  the  hoe.     A  few  years  of  this  culture 
will  check  their  disposition  to  run,  and  encourage  them 
to  fruit.     The  bed,  once  thus  formed  and  cultivated, 
will,  to  my  certain  knowledge,  continue  productive 
twelve  years,  and,  I  have  reason  to  believe,  as  much 
longer  as  the  culture  is  continued.     Should  the  vines 
have  taken  possession  of  the  ground,  in  spite  of  the 
efforts  to  keep  the  runners  down,  we  go  through  in  the 
fall  with  the  hoe,  thinning  out  the  plants  to  ten  or 
twelve  inches,  leaving  every  cut-up  vine  to  decay  on 
the  ground  where  it  grew:  wq  then  cover  with  the 
decaying  leaves.     When  the  plants  begin  to  bloom  in 
the  spring,  a  top-dressing  of  wood-ashes  will  be  found 
beneficial.     I  have  tried  strawberry  culture  with  the 
plough,  which  will  make  a  greater  quantity  of  vines, 
but  will  give  only  one  crop  of  fruit.     It  is  generally 
remarked  that  the  wild  strawberry  is  finer  flavored 
than  the  cultivated;  but  with  this  treatment  the  latter 
retains  all  the  original  flavor. 
It  has  been  recommended  by  some  cultivators  to 


APPENDIX. 


119 


irrigate  the  strawberry  grounds  by  letting  water  on 
the  vines;  but  the  strawberry,  cultivated  after  the 
manner  described,  can  bear  as  great  a  drought  as  any 
other  plant.  It  is  not  the  vines  and  leaves  that  want 
the  water,  but  the  flowers  and  fruit;  and  the  water 
must  come  in  the  form  of  rain,  through  the  clouds, 
from  an  engine,  or  a  common  watering-pot. 

I  have  noticed  quite  a  contest  going  on  among  hor- 
ticulturists  as  to  the  possibility  of  strawberries  chang- 
ing  their  sexual  character  by  cultivation.     Without 
taking  part  in  the  controversy,  I  must  state  that  I 
would  as  soon  think  of  high  feed  turning  a  cow  to  a 
bull,  as  to  change  the  pistillate  character  of  Hovey's 
Seedling  by  any  method  of  cultivation.    I  have  culti- 
rated  the  strawberry  under  every  aspect ;  with  high 
manuring,  and  without  manure;  in  new  lands,  and  on 
old  lands;  have  had  the  vines  stand  from  twelve  to 
eighteen  inches  high,  and  in  meek  submission  to  hug 
the  ground;  yet  I  have  never  found  the  least  change 
in  the  blossom.  A  perfect  pistillate  or  staminate  flowc^r, 
first  bboming  so  from  seed,  will  never  bloom  any 
other  way.    Cultivators  are  often  deceived  about  their 
plants,  from  the  fact  that  they  frequently  iind  varie- 
ties in  the  beds  which  they  did  not  plant ;  but  these 
spring  from  seed.     The  strawberry  springs  from  seed 
vr:th  astonishing  rapidity.    Since  my  beds  were  started, 
the  whole  country  around  me  is  covered  with  straw- 


120 


APPENDIX. 


berrj-pliiiits  from  the  seed  dropped  by  birds.  These 
I  find  running  into  all  varieties— pistillate,  staniinate, 
and  hermaphrodite— most  of  tliem  worthless,  but  some 
with  good  fruit. 

The  i)roper  time  for  transplanting  the  strawberry  at 
the  South,  is  as  soon  in  tlie  fill  as  the  weather  is  eool 
and  moist  enougli.  Here,  this  may  be  eontinued  until 
spi-ing.  Plants  are  easily  transported  great  distanees 
in  the  winter.  I  have  sent  them  2,000  miles  with 
safety.  It  will  be  observed  by  the  diagram,  that  I 
plant  the  staminate  every  eighth  row.  Some  cultiva- 
tors mix  in  the  rows;  but  I  prefer  to  keep  them  sepa- 
rate and  distinct,  as  they  are  more  easily  distinguished, 
and  kept  better  in  their  places. 

Now,  if  the  cultivator  would  know  the  secret  of  my 
having  stra\\'berries  six,  eight,  and  even  ten  months  in 
the  year,  in  the  hot  climate  of  Georgia  and  Alabama, 
it  is  tliis :  proper  location,  vegetable  manures,  shade  to 
the  ground,  without  exhaustion,  and  water  to  the  bloom 
and  fruit. 

One  reason  why  so  many  Ml  in  garden  culture  with 
the  sti-awberry  is,  that  the  beds  are  surrounded  by  trees 
and  shrubbery,  which  may  produce  one  crop  of  fruit 
in  the  spring,  but  rarely  more  than  that,  unless  it 
shoidd  prove  a  very  wet  season.  The  strawberry -bed, 
whether  in  the  garden  or  the  field,  should  have  no  tree, 
plant,  or  slirub  near  enough  to  it  to  take  the  moisture 


APPENDI^.  22^ 

from  the  eanh.    Tke-  plants  reqmro  all  the  moisture 
from  the  atmosphere  and  the  earth  around  them 
Whether  the  strawberry  was  originally  found  in  eold 
climates  or  not,  I  find  they  readily  adapt  themselves 
to  any  chmate,  and  very  soon  beeome  indigenous     I 
doubt  whether  there  is  a  State  in  this  Union  that  can- 
no  produce  the  strawberry  months,  instead  of  weeks, 
_n  the  year,  w:th  proper  eulture.    And  when  we  take 
nto  eonsKleration  the  ea.e  and  simplicity  of  its  cul- 
ture,  :ts  continued  bearing  and  productiveness,  its 
exemption  from  all  insect  depredations,  its  dcUelou^ 
flavor  and  healthy  influence  upon  the  system,  it  ranks 
hrst  in  importance  among  the  fruits  of  the  earth. 


A.PPENDIX  B. 


Il 


[Prom  Downlng's  HortlculturiBt] 

TWO  EXPERIMENTS  MACE  TO  TEST  MB.  LONGWORTH'S 

STRAWBERRY  THEORY. 

TAKn^o  Hovey's  Seedling  as  a  subject,  I  procured  a 
be  i-g  ass,  and  placed  it  over  an  entire  plant  which  had 
not  bloomed.  The  flowers  expanded  well  under  the 
glass,  but  did  not  produce  one  herry.  The  plant  was 
frequently  agitated  to  put  the  pollen  in  motion,  if  there 

»r  do   ill  I  V  . 


6 


122 


APPENDIX. 


I  also  introduced  under  a  glass  some  blossom  buds 
before  thej  had  blown.  These,  as  they  successively 
expanded,  .showed  no  signs  of  swelling.  I  impreg- 
nated, at  different  times,  two  of  the  blossoms  by  hand, 
applying  the  pollen  from  another  plant  with  a  camel's 
hair  pencil.  These  two  set  their  fruit  perfectly.  The 
pistils  of  the  other  blossoms  soon  turned  to  a  dark 
color.  These  experiments  were  made  at  the  north 
gide  of  a  picket  fence,  where  the  plants  were  screened 
from  the  full  effects  of  the  sun,  otherwise  the  heat 
under  the  glasses  would  have  been  too  great. 

These  experiments  prove,  to  my  mind,  very  conclu- 
siveljT-,  that  Hovey's  Seedling  will  not  bear  any  fruit 
unless  impregnated  by  some  staminate  variety.  And 
the  same  may  be  said  of  other  varieties  in  which  the 
stamens  are  obsolete.  I  have  had  some  plants  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  for  three  years,  in  a  position  where  they 
cannot  very  easily  be  impregnated  by  other  kinds, 
during  vrhich  time  they  have  not  borne  one  berry, 
while  other  plants  of  the  same'  variety,  exposed,  have 
been  productive.  A  diff  jrence  in  the  formation  of  the 
flowers  on  different  plants  is  not  confined  to  cultivated 
kinds,  biit  may  be  seen  in  those  growing  wild  in  the 
fields,  the  piatillate  plants  of  which  I  have  often  exam- 
ined with  a  magnifying-glass,  to  see  if  I  could  discover 
any  pollen,  but  have  never  been  able  to  find  it ;  I  am 
forced,  therefore,  to  believe  i\i{x\,  pisiillate  plants,  both 


APPENDIX. 


123 


wUd  and  cultivated,  are  absolutely  devoia  of  pollen 
and  cannot,  therefore,  produce  any  fruit  except  when' 
impregnated  by  others. 

I  am  also  convinced,  from  observation  and  theory 
hat  one  kind  will  never  chr.nge  to  the  other  by  offsete 
the  runner  bearing  the  same  relation  to  the  plant  pro- 
ducnig  It  as  a  tree  grown  from  a  bud  does  to  the  tree 
from  wh  eh  it  was  taken.    It  may,  then,  be  asked,  How 
docs  ,t  happen  that  there  arepmiate  md  staM^nate 
plants  of  the  same  variety  ?   I  answer,  It  is  not  thcfcM, 
unless  they  have  sprung  from  seed,  or  the  plants  have 
been  taken  from  the  fields  in  a  wild  state. 

That  pisiillate  plants  are  surer  and  better  bearcw 
than  .sfa,«e„„fe  plants,  is,  I  think,  generally  true,  (pro- 
vided  of  course,  that  they  are  impregnated).     And  it 
vvould  seem  reasonable  to  infer  that  when  but  one  of 
the  sexual  organs  is  complete,  the  other  will  have 
more  strength.    Plante,  therefore,  that  are  perfect  in 
botn  organs,  require  a  higher  state  of  cultivation. 
Ihere  is,  however,  a  wide  difference  in  the  produc- 
tiveness of  different  kinds  that  are  perfect  in  both 

otTr'  '°™'  *"'"°  "'""''  ""'"  '''''^°  *°  ''^"''  *» 

Cr.  W.  Huntsman. 

Flushing,  L.  /.,  July  14,  184g. 


li 


124 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX  C. 


Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Aug.  14,  1854. 
Mr.  B.  G.  Pardee  : 

Dear  Sir: — By  this  mail  I  send  you  a  grape 
pamphlet,  containing  an  article  written  bj  me  on  the 
strawberry.  I  will,  in  a  day  or  two,  send  you  a  Report 
of  our  Strawberry  Committee,  written  by  Dr.  Warder, 
on  Mr.  Meehan's  doctrine  of  changing  a  pistillate  to  a 
staminate  plant.  Mr.  Meehan  finds  plants  that  he  took 
from  what  was  called  a  bed  of  Hovey's  Seedling,  and 
had  nearly  all  proved  staminates  or  hermaphrodites. 
Dr.  Warder  and  Mr.  Heath,  of  our  city,  saw  his  plants, 
and  found  about  one  Hovey  to  the  hundred.  The 
Hovey  is  so  strongly  marked  that  our  children  can 
distinguish  the  plant  from  all  others.  Mr.  Meehan 
never  heard  of  a  pistillate  plant  till  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica. I  sent  some  of  our  seedlings  to  the  President  of 
the  London  Horticultural  Society  last  winter,  and 
among  them  pistillates.  He  replied  that  he  was  not 
aware  that  there  were  plants  that  would  not  bear  fruit 
without  impregnation,  and  suggested  that  the  failure  to 
bear,  he  presumed,  was  from  frost.  He  promised  to 
investigate  the  subject.  Mr.  Huntsman,  of  Flushing, 
Lons  Island,  is  a  botanist  and  hns  cnVpTi  o-rpnf.  otfori- 


APPENDIX. 


126 


1854. 

a,  grape 
on  tho 
Report 
iVarder, 
ate  to  a 
he  took 
ng,  and 
rodites. 
plants, 
.  The 
'en  can 
Meehan 
Amer- 
dent  of 
51,  and 
vas  not 
ar  fruit 
ilure  to 
lised  to 
ushing, 
k  atten' 


I    7 


hon  to  the  cultivation  and  sexes  of  the  plant.    From 
he  sten,  and  leaf  he  can  designate  some  My  varieties 
that  he  has  had  in  cultivation.    I  would  recommend 
you  to  get  his  views.    It  is  singular  that  after  public 
attention  has  been  brought  to  the  question  for  twenty 
yea^  or  mor^  even  botanists  and  horticultural  editors 
deny  the  doctrme.    If  generally  understood,  the  dis- 
covery  of  the  ignorant  market-gardener  is  worth  mil- 
l.ons  of  dollars.    After  I  had  made  the  discovery,  from 
a  chance  observation  of  a  son  of  Mr.  Abergust,  I  wa. 
at  the  gardens  of  persons  near  the  city  of  Philadelphia, 
where  Mr.  Abergust  resided,  prior  to  his    emoval  to 
Cmcmnati,  and  named  the  matter  to  them.     "Oh  » 
said  they,  "we  now  understand  it.    He  Uved  near  us 
and  from  the  same  space  of  ground  raised  five  times 
^  much  fruit  as  we  could,  and  larger.    Kvery  fall  he 
thmncd  out  his  plants,  and  threw  then^  in  the  road- 
we  gathered  them,  and  planted  them  in  our  gardens.' 
and  they  never  bore  a  single  fruit.    He  threw  ou 
stammates  only,  and  to  deceive  them.    The  son  of  Mr 
Abergust  was  in   my  garden  a  few  days  before  my 
plants  were  in  blossom,  and  observed,  "Your  straw- 
bernes  bear  a  bad  crop."    I  observed,  such  was  the 
fact_     He  added,  "They  are  all  males."    Replied, 
That  ,s  all  nonsense.    The  strawberry  is  a  plant  that 
bears  flowers  perfect  in  both  orran.^"     "I  „„  „o 
botanist,"  said  he,  "but  I  know  ^ost  of  youis  wUl 


■i. 


r-.' 

u 


126 


APPENDIX. 


bear  no  fruit."  I  requested  liim  to  point  out  any  that 
would,  lie  selected  two.  I  inquired,  "  Can  you  then 
see  the  difference ?"  " Not  now,"  said  he;  "I  could  if 
tliey  were  in  blossom."  I  found  hiui  disposed  to  give 
no  further  information.  I  marked  the  plants,  and 
when  in  blossom,  could  distinguish  them  at  a  distance 
of  several  feet.  There  was  not  one  of  these  to  the 
hundred.  Before  they  were  out  of  blossom,  I  cast 
them  all  out,  as  I  supposed ;  they  spread,  and  the  next 
season  I  had  a  full  crop.  But  finding  a  few  barren 
plants  before  they  were  out  of  blossom,  I  dug  them  all 
up,  and  the  next  season  had  not  a  single  berry.  I  then 
understood  the  subject,  and  made  it  known.  In  that 
day  we  had  no  hermaphrodite  plants. 

Yours  truly, 

N.   LONGWORTH. 


CINCINNATI  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETi'. 

The  Secretary,  at  the  request  of  the  Society,  reported 
a  written  statement  of  how  he  found  the  strawberry 
question  in  Philadelphia ;  after  some  animated  discus- 
sion, it  was  moved  to  accept  and  file  the  report,  and 
the  finality  was  ordered  to  appear  in  the  minutes  of 
the  day. 

It  has  long  been  argued  by  some  distinguished  hor- 
ticultural writers  that  certain  varieties  of  the  straw- 


APPENDIX. 


127 


berrj-for  instance,  Hovey's  Seedling-would  produce 
at  one  time  plants  with  pistillate,  and  at  another  time 
staminate  blossoms.     This  error  has  been  explained 
by  the  flict,  that  a  bed  of  strawberry  plants  of  any 
known  pistillate  variety,  after  standing  three  or  four 
years,  and  the  fruit  falling  and  decaying  on  the  bed, 
will  produce  seedling  plants,  and  of  course  new  varie' 
ties,  and  these  are  as  likely  to  be  staminate  as  pistil- 
late sorts.     The  following  is  the 

Finality  on  the  Strawberry.— Wild  or  culti- 
vated,  the  strawberry  presents,  in  its  varieties,  four 
distinct  forms  or  characters  of  inflorescence. 

1st.  Those  called  Pisiillate,  from  the  flict  that  the 
stamens  are  abortive,  and  rarely  to  be  found  without 
a  dissection  of  the  flower.  These  require  extrinsic 
impregnation. 

2d.  Those  called  Slaminate,  which  are  perfectly  des- 
titute of  even  the  rudiments  of  pistils,  and  are  neces- 
sarily fruitless. 

Sd.  Those  called  Hermaphrodite  or  perfect,  having 
both  sets  of  organs,  stamens  and  pistils,  apparently  well 
developed.  These  are  not  generally  good  and  certain 
bearers,  as  we  should  expect  them  to  be.  With  few 
exceptions  they  bear  poorly,  owing  to  some  unob- 
served  defect,  probably  in  the  pistils.  One-tenth  of 
their  flowers  generally  produce  perfect  and  often  very 
large  berries. 


128 


APPENDIX. 


4tli.  A  rare  class— a  sort  of  subdivision  of  the  pre- 
ceding—has not  only  hermaphrodite  flowers,  but  also 
some  on  the  same  truss  that  are  of  the  pistillate  charac- 
ter ;  and  sometimes,  in  the  same  plant,  a  truss  will  be 
seen  on  which  all  the  flowers  are  pistillate. 

Now  these  four  divisions  are  7iatuial  and  real;  they 
are  also  founded  upon  permanent  character,  so  far  as 
we  have  been  able  to  discover,  after  a  most  thorough 
investigation,  extending  through  a  long  scries  of  years, 
during  which  millions  of  strawberry  blossoms  have 
been   examined  with  the    severest  scrutiny.      Other 
forms  may  exist,  and  it  is  not  claimed  to  be  impossible 
that  Ave  may  yet  find  a  seedling  which  shall  have  the 
general  character  of  a  pistillate,  that  may  show  an 
occasional  perfect  or  hermaphrodite  flower,  as  a  pecu- 
liarity  of   that  individual,  but  we  have   never  yet 
observed  such  a  variety;  and,  further,  we  believe  that 
whatever  impress,  as  to  peculiarities  of  foliage,  pubes- 
cence,  habit,  inflorescence,  or  fruit,  each  distinct  seed- 
ling may  receive  with  its  origin,  it  will  be  retained  in 
its  increase  by  runners,  so  long  as  the  variety  remains 
extant.     Seedlings   may  vary  from  the    parent,  but 
off-shoots  will  not  be  materially  different,  except  by 
accidental  malformation  or  by  development  of  unim- 
portant organs. 

John  A.  Warder,  Secretary. 


APPENDIX. 


129 


APPENDIX  D. 


Prom  th«  •  Hortlculturbt,"  Augast,  1884    By  P.  Baurt,  Editor. 
THE    CULTIVATION   OP    THE  STRAWBERRY. 
The  discussion  of  the  Strawberry  question,  which 
has  occupied  the  pages  of  agricultural  and  horticultural 
journals  so  largely  for  a  few  years  past,  has  been  the 
means,  directly  and  indirectly,  of  advancing  materially 
the  cultivation  of  that  fruit.     We  find  ample  evidence 
of  this  in  the  more  abundant  supply  of  our  markets, 
and  in  the  production  of  a  large  number  of  seedling 
varieties.     Recent  letters  from  correspondents  in  all 
parts  of  the  country,  as  well  as  the  reports  of  late 
exhibitions,  all   testify  to  the  very  general  interest 
which  is  felt  on  the  subject,  and  the  progress  that  has 
been  made.    But,  after  all,  we  are  constrained  to  say 
that  our  cultivation  is  yet  very  indifferent.     The  size 
and  appearance  of  the  great  bulk  of  fruit  offered  in 
market,  convince  us  of  this.     Those  who  know  how  to 
cultivate  are  in  many  cases  slovenly,  or  act  upon  the 
principle  that  good  culture  will  not  pay;  while  there 
are  many  who  f-iil  for  want  of  correct  information. 
We  have  now  before  us  a  large  number  of  inquiries  on 
the  subject.     One  wants  to  know  how  to  prepare  the 
soii;   another,  wh^n  to  plant;   and  another,  how  to 
6* 


-^r 


ISO 


APPENDIX. 


plant.  Soveral  correspondents  wlio  arc  well  informed 
on  tlio  subjoet  of  cultivation,  ask  us  to  give  them  tho 
names  of  the  best  i)erfect-flo\vering  sorts,  as  they  aro 
tired  of  keeping  separate  the  staminate  and  jiistillato 
varieties.  We  have  therefore  thought  it  miglit  be 
well  to  offer  a  few  hints  which  will  serve  as  a  general 
answer. 

Wo  will  state  here,  at  the  Dutset,  that  to  cultivate 
•the  strawberry  successfully,  .s  but  a  simple  matter. 
To  grow  large,  handsome,  fire-flavored  fruit  in  abun- 
dance, it  is  not  necessary  to  employ  a  chemist  to  furnish 
us  with  a  long  list  of  specifics,  nor  even  to  employ  a 
gardener  by  profession,  who  can  boast  of  long  years  of 
experience.  Any  one  who  can  manage  a  crop  of  corn 
or  potatoes,  can,  if  he  will,  grow  strawberries.  We 
say  tliis  much  by  way  of  encouragement,  because  so 
much  has  been  said  in  regard  to  various  methods  of 
culture,  and  various  applications  and  specifics,  that 
some  j^eople  have  become  persuaded  that  a  vast  deal  of 
learning  and  experience  is  necessary  to  produce  large 
crops  of  strawberries. 

Judging  from  what  we  have  seen,  we  believe  that 
the  great  cause  of  failure  is  negligence.  The  straw- 
berry plant— not  like  a  tree,  which  when  once  set  in 
its  place,  remains  there— is  constantly  sending  out 
shoots  (runners)  in  all  directions,  taking  possession  of 
the  ground  rapidly  around  the  parent  plant.     In  a 


f 


ArPENnix. 


131 


short  time,  therefore,  unless  these  runners  arc  kept  in 
chcclc,  tlic   ground   becomes  entirely  ooeupied  with 
plants,  the  parent  plants  become  eximusted,  and  tho 
ground  can  no  longer  bo  stirred  or  kept  in  such  a  con- 
dition  as  is  necessary  to  sustain  their  vigor.     The  re- 
suit  is,  the  ground  is  covered  with  a  mass  of  starved 
and  weakly  plants,  choking  up  each  other  in  a  hard 
uncultivated  soil,  and  producing  a  spare  crop  of  small,' 
inaipid  berries,  that  dry  up  on  their  stalks  before  they 
are  npe,  unless  rain  happens  to  fall  every  day. 
_   The  constant  stirring  of  the  soil  around  the  plants 
IS  one  thing  which  in  our  climate  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary ;  and  any  system  of  culture  which  precludes  this 
or  throws  any  obstacle  in  its  way,  is  defective.    If  any 
one  will  examine  his  strawberry  beds,  he  will  find  the 
plants  along  the  outer  edges  of  the  beds,  where  the  soU 
has  been  kept  clean  and  fresh  by  the  frequent  use  of 
the  hoe,  vigorous  and  healthy,  with  luxuriant  dark- 
green  fohago,  and  largo,  fine  fruit;  while  in  the  interior 
of  the  beds,  where  the  plants  have  grown  into  masses, 
and  covered  all  the  ground,  so  as  to  prevent  its  eulti- 
vation,  they  are  yellow  and  sickly-looking,  and  the  f-uit 
poor  and  wortless.     This  we  see  in  our  own  grounds 
and  everywhere  that  we  find  plants  growing  under 
smular  circumstances.     Does  this  not  show  the  neces- 
Bitj  of  cultivation  close  around  tho  plants?    No  mat- 
ter how  deep  we  may  trench  the  soil,  or  how  unsparmg 


•  J 


i^ 


182 


APPENDIX. 


■ 


if?     I 


we  may  be  with  manures,  or  how  copiously  we  supply 
moisture,  this  cultivation  cannot  be  dispensed  with,  if 
we  aim  at  producing  fine  fruits,  and  abundance  of 
them.     "But,"  says  one  cultivator,  "by  allowing  the 
ground  to  be  all  occupied  with  plants,  we  save  all  the 
labor  which  would  be  consumed  in  removing  the  run- 
ners, and  w<  avoid  the  necessity  of  applying  a  mulch- 
ing to  keep  the  fruit  clean."    Very  true,  you  save  some 
>  expense ;  but  what  do  you  get  in  return  ?     A  crop  of 
fruit  not  fit  for  the  table— small,  insipid,  and  so  dirty, 
if  a  heavy  rain  occurs  about  ripening-time,  that  it  must 
be  put  through  the  wash-tub  before  it  is  placed  on  the 
table.    It  is  possible  that  the  market-grower  may  be 
able  to  produce  berries  of  this  kind  at  a  less  price  per 
quart  than  he  could  by  a  careful,  cleanly,  and  thorough 
system  of  culture ;  but  then  he  can  ex^,ect  to  sell  such 
fruit  only  when  no  better  can  be  had.     We  have  some 
doubts,  however,  as  to  the  economy  of  bad  culture  in 
the  long  run.    If  a  proper  system  were  adopted  at  the 
outstart,  and  followed  up  with  regularity,  it  would  not 
be  found  so  profitless  or  expensive.     In  this,  as  in 
every  otlier  kind  of  culture,  a  system  is  absolutely 
necessary.     A  certain  routine  of  operations  which  are 
easily  executed  if  taken  at  the  right  time,  become  bur- 
densome when  deferred ;  and  being  so,  they  are  not 
unfrequently  put  off  altogether.     Precisely  thus  it  is 
that  strawberry  beds  are  neglected^  both,  in  market 


APPENDIX. 


133 


gardens  and  private  gardens,  until  thej  are  grown 
wild  beyond  liope  of  recovery.  Now,  we  say  to  every 
one  who  wishes  to  cultivate  strawberries,  resolve  at 
once  upon  abandoning  the  "  lazy-bed"  system ;  and  if 
you  cultivate  but  a  square  rod,  do  it  well. 

We  advise  planting  in  rows  not  less  than  two  feet 
apart,  unless  ground  be  very  scarce,  when  eighteen 
inches  might  suffice,  and  the  plants  to  be  twelve  to 
eighteen  inches  apart  in  the  rows.    In  extensive  field 
culture,  the  rows  should  be  at  least  three  feet  apart,  in 
order  to  admit  the  use  of  the  plough  and  cultivator 
between  them,  or  even  the  passage  of  a  cart  to  deposit 
manures  or  mulching  material.     The  spade  and  wheel- 
barrow  are  too  costly  impliments  for  an  extensive  cul- 
ture where  labor  is  scarce  and  high,  as  with  us.   From 
the  time  the  plants  are  set  until  the  fruit  is  gathered, 
the  runners  should  be  cut  away  as  fast  as  they  appear' 
and  the  ground   be  kept  clear  of  weeds,  and  well 
worked. 

Ill  the  fall,  or  before  the  setting  in  of  winter,  a 
mulching  of  half  decayed  leaves  or  manure  should  'be 
placed  between  the  rows,  coming  close  around  the 
plants,  leaving  the  crown  or  heart  uncovered.  This 
mulching  prevents  the  plants  from  being  drawn  out 
and  weakened,  or  destroyed  by  freezing  and  thawing 
in  winter.  We  have  sometimes  covered  the  entire 
beds,  plants  and  all,  with  newly-fallen  leaves ;  and  by 


I 


♦ 


13^ 


APPENDIX. 


ralang  them  off  early  in  the  .pHng,  the  plants  camo 
oat  m  fine  order.     In  the  same  way  we  have  covered 
with  clean  wheat  straw,  and  found  it  answer  well     In 
all  the  xXorthern  and  Western  States,  some  winter  pre 
tection  IS  of  groat  service,  although  not  indispensable. 
In  field  culture,  the  earth  might  be  ploughed  up  to 
tlie  plants,  as  is  done  with  nursery  trees,  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  afford  considerable  protection  against  tho 
action  of  frost  on  the  root. 

As  soon  as  the  fruit  begins  to  attain  its  full  size,  and 
approach  maturity,  the  spaces  between  the  rows,  which 
up  to  this  time  have  been  under  clean  culture, 'should 
be   covered  with  straw,   litter,   or  moss.     This   will 
serve  the  double  purpose  of  keeping  the  fruit  clean 
and  retaining  the  moisture  in  tlie  soil.     When  copious 
supplies  of  water  are  to  be  applied,  which  should 
always  be  done  when  practicable,  stable  litter  is  a  good 
mulching,  as  the  water  poured  on  it  carries  down  with 
it  to  the  roots  of  the  plants  the  fertilizing  materials 
Avhich  it  contains. 

The  application  of  water  in  abundance  we  must 
again  recommend  to  all  who  want  the  finest  fruit. 
Rains  are  very  good,  but  they  cannot  be  relied  upon, 
and  they  always  deprive  the  fruit  of  its  flavor,  while 
artificial  waterings  do  not.  On  this  account  the 
French  gardeners  say  that  the  strawberry  "prefers 
water  from  tlie  well  to  water  from  the  clouds."    It  ia 


APPEN'DIXv 


If  JO 


supposed  tliat  tlic  electricity  whicli  pervades  tlic  atmos. 
plicrc  during  our  summer  rains  affects  the  flavor  of 
the  fruit. 

AVhen  the  crop  has  been  gathered,  the  mulcliincr 
material  between  tlie  rows  should  be  removed  and  the 
ground  be  forked  over,  so  that  if  plants  are  wanted  to 
form  a  new  plantation,  their  growth  will  be  encour- 
aged.  The  same  plants  should  not  be  relied  upon  for 
more  than  i^vo  crops.  The  labor  of  making  a  new 
bod,  save  the  trenching  of  the  soil,  is  no  more  than 
that  of  planting  a  plot  of  cabbages. 

As  to  the  season  for  planting,°we  would  recommend 
the  sprmg  for  largo  plantations,  because  then  there  is 
comparatively  no  risk  of  failure.     The  amateur,  how- 
ever,  who  wishes  only  to  plant  a  bed  in  his  garden 
may  do  it  at  ar.y  time  that  he  can  procure  good  plants! 
If  the  growth  of  runners  is  encouraged  in  July,  after 
the  fruit  IS  gathered,  good,  well  rooted  runners  may  be 
iKul  about  the  first  of  September,  or  it  may  be  sooner. 
ihe  young  plants  nearest  the    parent  plant   should 
always  be  chosen,  if  possible.     In  planting  during  the 
month  of  August  or  September,  rainy  weather  should 
be  chosen,  if  possible,  but  it  may  be  safely  done,  even 
m  a  dr^  time,  by  using  water  freely.     Water  the  plants 
well  before  taking  them  up,  as  it  injures  the  roots  very 
much  to  draw  them  nnf.  nf.l...  g.^und;  then  water 


soil  thoroughly  where  they  are  to  be  set,  before 


the 
plant- 


136 


APPENDIX. 


ing.     A  sprinkling  will  be  of  no  use :  it  must  go  down 
deep,  as  a  heavj  rain  ^TOul(l.     Set  the  plants  in  the 
evening,  and  shade  them  a  few  days  with  boards  set 
on  edge,  forming  a  sort  of  roof  over  them.     Ivfulch 
them,  too,  with  short  litter;  and  it  will  be  well,  if  the 
phmts  be  large,  to  remove  some  of  the  lower  and 
larger  leaves.     Planting  can  be  done  safelj  in  sprino- 
any  time  until  the  plants   are  in  blossom-and   all 
summer,  for  that  matter,  with  proper  care. 

We  have  thus  briefly  sketched  the  principal  opera- 
tions m  strawberry  culture;  not  in  regular  order,  it  is 
true,  but  we  hope  so  as  to  be  understood.    We  are  not 
writing  a  book,  and  cannot  enter  into  all  the  details 
with  minuteness.     We  have  said  nothing  of  the  soil 
and  will  only  remark  that  any  good  garden  soil  fit  to 
produce  culinary  vegetables,  or  any  good  firm  land  fit 
for  grain  or  root  crops,  will  produce  good  strawberries- 
but  it  must  be  deeply  ploughed,  or  trenched,  say  twenty 
inches  at  least,  and  liberally  manured  with  well-decom 
posed  stable  manure  or  a  good  compost.    The  quantity 
of  manure  must  vary  according  to  the  degree  of  natural 
fertility  of  the  soil.     In  one  case,  a  quantity  equal  to 
SIX  inches  deep  all  over  the  surfoce  would  not  be  too 
much ;  while  in  other  cases,  half  that  would  be  enough. 
We  would  prefer  not  to  mak.  a  strawberry  planla- 
tion  twice  on  the  same  ground ;  but  when  circumstances 
render  it  inconvenient  to  change,  rows  of  young  plant. 


APPENDIX.  jgj, 

might  be  sot,  or  allowd  to  establish  themselves  from 
the  ruuners,  between  the  old  rows,  whieh  can  then  bo 
turned  under  with  the  spade,  and  will  serve  to  enrieh 
tlie  ground. 

Now  as  to  varieties.  On  this  point  there  is  room 
for  a  great  diversity  of  opinion,  and  we  eannot  hope  to 
name  a  list  that  will  be  aeeeptable  to  a  very  large  num- 
ber  of  persons,  at  least  in  many  parts  of  the  country. 
Planters  must  have  recourse  to  the  best  experience  to 
be  found  in  their  respective  localities ;  in  the  mean  time 
we  shall  express  our  opinion  of  a  few  varieties,  and  let 
It  go  lor  what  it  is  worth. 

It  happ^s  that  in  this  country  the  greater  number 
of  our  most  productive  varieties  have  but  one  set  of 
the  organs  of  fecundation.    A  fruitful  flower  must 
have  both  pistUs  and  stamens  perfectly  developed 
The  stamens  are  regarded  as  the  male  organs,  and  the 
pistils  the  female.    When  a  flower  has  well-developed 
pistils,  but  no  stamens,  or  imperfect  ones,  it  must  be 
impregnated  by  pollen  from  other  flowers.    Where  a 
flower  has  no  pistils,  or  has  imperfect  ones,  it  is  utterly 
barren.    A  large  number  of  our  best  American  vari- 
eties-such  as  Hovey^  Seedling,  Burrs  New  Pine 
MoAvoy's  Superior,  Uoyamensing,  &c.-are  wanting  in' 
Btamens,  and  therefore  foreign  impregnation  is  neces- 
sary.   In  Europe  this  distinction  is  not  observed  to 
any  extent,  and  all  the  English  and  continental  varie 


J,:i 


Wn 


138 


APPENDIX. 


tics,  as  far  as  wo  know,  arc  licnnaplirodite.    In  thw 

country  very  many  of  them  faU  from  an  imperfect 

development  of  the  pistUs,  and  are  consequently  bar- 

ren,  owing  doubtless  to  the  effects  of  climate  and  cul- 

ture.     It  is  not  necessary  that  the  two  should  be  in 

close  proximity ;  they  are  sure  to  Ret  im;,rog„at<>d  if 

m  the  same  garden,  as  the  polle.,  ,        -ried  about  from 

one  flower  to  anotl>er  by  insect..    The  beds  of  the 

different  sorts  may  be  kept  entirely  separate.     Mixin.^ 

them  up  is  a  bad  way,  as  the  one  outgrows  and  ov«t 

runs  the  other,   and   they  become  so  eonfused  tliat 

nothing  ean  be  done  with  them.     On  this  account 

many  have  grown  tired  of  iceeping  up  the  distinction, 

and  have   resolved  to  cultivate  hermaphrodite  sort, 
only. 

The  following  varieties  are  the  best  on  the  Ion..  Ii4 
of  those  we  have  tested  on  our  own  grounds  • 

Plsni.LATE.-Burr's  New  Pine,  Jenny's  Seedling, 
MeAvoy  s  Superior,  Hovey's  Seedling,  Moyamensing 
Monroe  Scarlet,  and  Crimson  Cone.  The  finest  flavored 
variety  among  these  is  Burr's  New  Pine ;  the  largest 
Ilovcy's  Seedling ;  and  the  finest  and  best  for  market' 
Jenny's  Seedling  and  Crimson  Cone.     Hovey's  Seed' 
^^g,  in  AVestern  New  York,  and  in  many  parts  of  the 
West,  IS  a  very  moderate,  and,  in  m.any  cases,  a  poor 
bearer.   We  have  had  no  crop  so  heavy  the  p.ast  seL 
(wJieu  all  bore  well)  as  on  the  Monroe  Scariet. 


APPENDIX. 


139 


Staminate,    or   IlEUMAPiiitoDiTE.— Large   Early 
Scailn,   Walker's  Seedling,  Iowa,  Boston  Pine,  and 
Genesee.     All   these  may  be  grown  sueeessfully  for 
market,    and   are   good,  wiUiout   being    first-ratc   in 
flavor.     We  think  mueh  more  of  Walker's  Seedlino- 
now  than  we  did  last  season.     It  is  very  hardy,  and  I 
great  bearer.     It  appears  to  be  a  seedling  from  the 
BLiek  Prinee.    The  Boston  Pine  is  the  most  uncertain 
on  the  whole  list;  without  good  soil  an.d  culture  it 
fails  entirely. 

Besides  the   above  list,  we  would  recommend  to 
amateurs,  who  are  willing  to  bestow  thorough  cultiva- 
tion and  care  on  their  plants,  the  British  Queen,  which, 
when  well  grown,  surpasses  in  size,  beauty  and  excel' 
lence,  any  we  have  named.     The  Bicton  Pine,  a  largo 
and  beautiful  white  variety,  which  ripens  late.     We 
We  had  a  fine  crop  of  it  this  season,  although  our 
plants-being  set  last  year-were  seriously  injured  last 
winter.    Like  all  the  foreign  sorts,  it  needs  protection, 
and  a  deep,  rich  soil,  with  abundant  moisture.     Tlie 
Wood  Strawberries-red  and  white-bear  most  pro- 
^    fiisely  in  all  places  and  last  a  long  time  ;  besides,  they 
part  Ireely  from  the  calyx,  and  are  therefore  easily  and 
rapidly  picked,  and  their  flavor  is  rich  and  agreeable 
to  most  people.    In  addition  to  these,  we  must  mention 
the  Bush  Alpine,  (having  no  runners),  perpetual  bear- 
era,  if  kept  liberally  supplied  with  moisture.     Tliev 


140 


APPENDIX. 


deserve  mucli  more  extensive  cultivation  tlian  tlicy 
now  receive.  With  their  assistance,  we  may  enjoy 
strawberries  not  one  month  only  but/owr  months. 


APPENDIX  E. 


LETTER  FROM  PETER  B.  MEAD. 

September  1st,  1854. 
R.  G.  Pardee,  Esq.:  Dear  .S^>-Your  request,  that 
I  would  give  you  a  few  remarks  on  the  culture  of  the 
strawberry,  I  will  now  comply  with,  but  necessarily  in 
a  brief  manner.  First  let  me  say,  that  I  am  glad  to 
learn  that  you  are  about  to  publish  a  manual  On  Straw- 
berry Culture.  Your  long  experience  and  marked 
success  will  enable  you  to  invest  the  subject  with  unu- 
sual  interest. 

We  cannot  always  command  just  such  a  soil  as  we 
want;  but  we  generally  have  the  material  at  hand  to 
modify  it  so  as  to  answer  our  purpose  very  well.     For 
the  strawberry  I  prefer  a  sandy  loam,  well  drained, 
and  a  southern  exposure.     An  eastern  aspect  is  also 
good.    Animal  manures  I  do  not  much  use,  except  on 
a  few  of  the  hermaphrodites,  and  then  very  sparingly, 
and  only  that  which  is  well  decomposed.     I  much 
prefer  prepared  muck,  leaf  mould,  &c..    When  a  stimu. 


APPENDIX. 


141 


laiit  is  required,  a  solution  of  guano,  the  salts  of  am- 
monia,  dilute  tannic  acid,  cr  a  top-dressing  of  guano,* 
superphosphate  of  lime,  pc  .ash,  &c.,  answers  the  pur- 
pose well.     I  prefer  the  ammonia  and  tannic  acid.    In 
a  garden,  strawberries  sliould  be  planted  in  beds,  and 
each  kind  kept  distinct.    Make  the  beds  three  feet  wide, 
put  three  plants  in  a  row,  the  two  outside  ones  beinc/ 
SIX  inches  from  the  edge  of  the  bed;  the  plants  will 
then  be  one  foot  apart.     The  rows  should  be  eighteen 
inches  apart;  but  in  a  small  garden  they  may  be  one 
foot  apart.     Select  young  plants  in  preference  to  old 
ones.     Set  the  plant  up  to  the  crown,  but  do  not  cover 
It.     Keep  the  ground  open  and  porous,  and  free  from 
weeds.     A  word  as  to  to  the  best  time  for  planting.    I 
prefer  early  spring ;  but  where  a  supply  of  water  is  at 
hand,  it  may  be  done  at  any  time ;  for  only  give  the 
strawberry  plenty  of  water,  and  it  will  defy  any  amount 
of  heat.     I  would  remark,  en  passant,  that  whoever 
attempts  to  water  his  strawberries  must  do  it  thorough- 
ly, if  he  would  have  his  plants  derive  any  benefit  from 
it.    A  thorough  soaking  once  a  week  will  do  more  good 
than  fifty  sprinklings  a  day.     Where  water  is  not  at 
hand,  the  planting  should  be  done  during  Aug-.ist  and 

*  Further  experience  has  led  me  to  discard  the  use  of  giiano, 
particularly  as  a  top-dressing.  It  is  not  only  too  stimulatinir  for 
the  strawberry,  but  rapidly  dissolves  the  vegetable  constituents  of 
the  soil,  which  I  consider  essential  to  the  plant.— January,  1856. 


j.: 


142 


APPENDIX. 


ScptcMubor,  taking  advantage  of  a  licavy 


ram. 


tl 


I  j)rerei 


ic 


early  part  of  Scj)tenib-r;  in  fad,  I  liavo  i-lantcd 


Ilovoy,  Burr's    New  Pine    AVall 


ker's    Scedlin''    and 


others,  as  late  as  the  2ist  of  Oct^^ber,  and  evei-y  plant 


survived  the  winter  without 
but  I  would  not  1 


temb 


covering  of  any   kind; 
■ceonuuend  pkuiting  later  than  Sep- 


er 


Next,  a  few  Avords  about  juulch  in  gaud  after-lrcalmc 
Lattei^y  I  have  seldom  resorted  to  nudehing.     I  1 
a  rake  seven  inelics  wide  with  prongs  ei<dit  inches  ] 


n1 


lavc 


^'"g) 


made  of  highly  tempered  steel.  This  is  my  mulcher 
AVith  this  instrument  I  woi-k  between  the  rows  from 
ppring  till  fall ;  and  frequently  when  the  plants  arc  in 
fruit.  I  know  I  sliall  be  told  that  tl 
practice,  and  I  admit  that  it  is 


us  IS  a  daufj^erous 


in  inexperienced  haiul^ 


indeed,  I  would  not  tru«t  another  to  use  it 
own  plants,   owing  to  the  danger  of 
fibres ;  and  yet  I  use  it  myself  witl 


mj 


anion 
urin 


o 


lim  an  inch  o 


my 
their 


f  the 


crown.  AVhen,  therefore,  I  cannot  give  the  necessary 
personal  attention  to  my  plants,  I  resort  to  the  next 
best  mulcher,  wliieli  is  ian,  either  spent  or  fresh.  I 
prefer  the  latter.  The  ground  should  first  be  well 
stirred,  and  the  tan  applied  not  more  than  one  inch 
thick.  If  too  mucli  is  applied  it  is  apt  to  ferment  and 
kill  the  plants.  Many  fine  beds  have  been  destroj^cd 
in  this  way.  Where  tan  cannot  be  had,  leaves  from 
the  woods  may  be  used.    These  make  an  admirablo 


APPKNDIX. 


MS 


mulch,  and  promise,  in  my  o])inioii,  to  lake  i\io  Jirst 
place  among  mulcher.«^.  liny,  straw,  grass,  sawdust, 
&c.,  arc  also  good;  but  whatever  is  used  for  llii.s 
purpose,  the  crown  of  the  plants  must  in  no  case  be 
covered. 

The  beds  having  be^n    properly  made,  the  after- 
treatment  becomes  a  very  simple  matter;   indeed,  I 
know  of  no  plant  that  gives  such  generous  returns  at 
Bo  small  a  cost  of  labor;  but  you  rnust  not  infer  from 
this  that  I  justify  anytliing  like  neglect.     The  beds 
must  be  looked  over  occasionally,  runners  removed, 
weeds  pulled  up,  and  everything  kept  neat  and  clean. 
In  the  spring,  rake  the  nudehing  into  the  walks,  stir 
up  the  soil,  apply  a  top-dressing  if  needed,  and  then 
put  back  the  mulching.    Tiie  best  mode,  however,  is  to 
apply  one  of  the  solutions  before  mentioned,  aftci-  tho 
fruit  has  set.    The  bearing-season  may  bo  considerably 
prolonged  by  thorough  watering,  and  Avill  amply  repay 
the  trouble  where  the  means  are  at  hand.     As  soon  as 
the  plants  have  done  bearing,  they  will  throw  out  run- 
ners, which  must  be   pinched  off,  unless  plants  arc 
wanted  for  new  beds.     I  have  no  time  to  add  moro 
here,  except  to  say,  that  he  who  would  have  good 
strawberries  must  cullivaic  them ;  by  which  I  mean  tho 
opposite  of  letting  them  take  care  of  themselves. 

You  will  doubtless  expect  me  to  add  a  few  words  In 
regard  to  some  of  the  leading  varieties  •  but  it  would 


f!' 


lU 


APPKNDIX. 


bo  impolitic  f  )r  mc  to  siiy  mucli  on  this  point,  since 
you  know  I  am  now  testing  :,11  the  mnv  vjiriotics,  and 
conductino-  a  scries  of  experiments  liaving  r.j[erence  to 
tho    natural    history  of  tl.is    most  interestin^^^  plant. 
Fj-iends  have  furnished  mo  with  varieties  entirely  n.«w, 
and  not  yet  sent  out;  hut  those  I  have  only  had'  under 
trial  since  last  ^fay,  an<l  it  would  he  (piite  i,rcmatnro 
to  say  much  about  them,  though  some  of  tluMu  arc 
very  promising.    I  am  daily  expecting  more.     At  somo 
future  time  I  shall  review  thom  all.     I  do  not  hesitate 
to  say,  however,  that  the  following  are  good,  with- 
out  at  present  designating  them  in  any  other  way: 
McAvoy's  Superior,  Ilovcy's  Seedling,  Moyamonsin- 
Burr's  New  Pino,  Black  Prince,  Pennsylvania,*  Mc' 
Avoy's  Extra  Red,  (rather  acid),  Boston  Pine,' Alice 
]\raude,    Longworth's   Prolific,    Exccllente,  Walker's 
Seedling,  Beach's  Queen,  Largo  Early  Scarlet,  Ano-c- 
lique.     But  I  rather  think  I  will  stop,  for  I  know  not 
wlicrc  this  may  lead  me.      Barr's  New  AYliite  and 
Bicton  Pine  arc  both  large  white  vai-ictics;  thcVormcr 
is  best. 

JJ  Pennsylvania  will  not  boar  well  or  produce  goo.l  fruit  except 
under  generous  treatment ;  certainly  not  under  trees,  where,  slranoX 
enou,,,  I  ,,ave  soon  it  while  nndcr,oin,  a  trial ;  and,  as  Inay  n^  ' 
rally  l,e  supposed,  a  severe  trial  it  proved.  To  the  above  list  mi^^ht 
be  addal,  fecotfs  Seedling,  Kate,  Monroe  Scarlet,  Wilson's  S^d- 

best  of  Mr.  Barry  s  Seedlings.— January,  1856. 


APPKNDIX. 


145 


You  also  toll  ,„c  you  moan  to  add  some  diroctions 
about  tl,o  oulturc  of  currants,  Rooscberrie.,  a,„l  olhor 
Bmall  iruit.,  as  woU  as  the  grapo.     These  things  should 
1«  bettor  grown  than  they  generally  are.     Ooosoborrios 
and  curra„tsaro  usually  seen  as  a  mass  of  half-doeaycd 
branches,  without  form  or  sightlinos.,.    It  i„  „..xt  to 
impossible  to  bring  those  into  shape,  or  develop  their 
maxnnum  produotiveness.    It  is  better  to  begin  anew 
Proeure  plants  slrnek  from  euttings;  grow  them  with 
a  clean  stalk  not  loss  than  six  inches  in  height ;  prune 
them  every  winter,  keeping  the  heads  well  open,  and 
shorten  in  last  season's  growth  in  the  currant,  but  not 
m  the  gooseberry.     These  fruits  are  generally  planted 
«g-nst  the  fence,  or  in  some  out-of-the-way  eorner 
just  where  they  should  not  be.    Give  them  an  open 
e.xposure,  plenty  of  manure,  and  good  culture,  and  you 
will  be  amply  rewarded.    The  Eed  Dutch  is  best  for 
general  purposes;  but  Knight's   Sweet  Red,  Cherrv 
Pnnee  Albert,  White  Grapo,  and  others,  may  bo  added 
where  there  is  room. 

The  raspberry  and  blackberry  are  also  desirable  ia 
a  garden,  furnishing  a  delicious  fruit  at  an  opportune 
soason.  They  both  require  a  deep,  rich  soil.  The 
blackberry  may  be  planted  against  an  east  fence,  and 
the  raspberry  against  a  west  fence-about  the  best 
places  in  the  garden.  The  old  wood  of  the  raspberry 
'  o«  out  out  after  it  has  ceased  bearing,  and  some 


•it 


nii 


*J  •-*  •^. 


146 


APPENDIX. 


four  or  five  canes  of  tlie  newgrowtb  retained  for  next 
season.  The  blackberry  should  be  winter  pruned,  and 
sborteued  in  about  the  last  of  July.  They  should  both 
be  tied  to  stakes  or  to  the  fence,  and  the  ground  kept 
free  from  weeds.  Of  raspberries,  the  Fastolf,  Eed 
Antwerp,  and  Yellow  Antwerp  are  among  the  best. 
Dr.  Brinckle  has  raised  several  seedlings,  one  of  which 
Col.  Wilder,  I  have  grown  and  f-r^und  to  be  good* 
The  above  in  some  localities,  will  need  protection  in 
winter,  which  is  best  done  by  bending  down  tlie  canes 
and  covering  them  with  earth.  Mr.  Van  Dewenter 
of  Astoria,  has  a  new  everbearing  raspberry,  which 
will  prove  to  be  an  acquisition.* 

Of  blackberries,  the  Improved  High  Bush  (of  Boston) 
and  the  New  Rochelle  are  now  pretty  well  known. 
The  latter  is  certainly  the  best,  and  most  productive : 
it  is  a  most  beautiful  fruit,  and  worthy  of  general  cul- 
tivation. I  saw  a  basket  of  this  fruit  from  Mr.  Rose- 
velt,  of  Pelham,  Westchester  Co.,  the  berries  of  which 
measured  from  three  to  three  inches  and  a  half  in  cir- 
cumference. Mr.  Lawton  has  also  shown  fine  speci- 
mens.   About  a  year  since,  while  at  Chester,  Morris 

*  This  is  really  a  continual  bearer,  being  loaded  with  fruit  until 
further  growth  is  checked  by  the  severity  of  the  frost.  It  is  a  good 
fruit  of  fair  sizo,  and  ought  to  be  widaly  disseminited.  The  Cata- 
wissa,  which  is  represented  to  possess  the  same  everbearing  quali- 
ties, I  have  not  seen  Dr.  Trinckle's  Orange  proves  to  be  among 
the  best  of  all  raspberries January,  1856. 


APPENDIX. 


147 


B 


Co.,  N.  J.,  I  saw  a  blackberry  growing  wild,  closely 
resembling  the  New  Rocbelle,  and  quite  equal  to  it. 
I  have  a  variety,  however,  which  I  consider  superior 
to  either  of  the  above  in  point  of  flavor.  It  is  very 
distinct  in  wood  and  foliage,  and  a  strong  grower.  It 
is  a  hybrid  variety,  and  may  be  had  of  Mr.  More,  of 
Yorkville. 

To  say  anything  important  of  the   grape  in  a  few 
lines  is  no  easy  matter.     The  best  soil,  I  apprehend, 
is  a  gravelly  loam,  tlioroughhj  underdrained,  and  sub- 
soiled  or  trenched.     We  expect  the  vine  to  yield  its 
fruit  for  a  lifetime  at  least,  and  should  prepare  the  soil 
accordingly.     The  ground  having  been  trenched,  dig 
a  hole  not  less  than  three  feet  square  and  two  feet  deep, 
and  fill  up  nearly  a  foot  with  a  compost  of  manure,' 
bones,  broken  charcoal,  lime  rubbish,   and  vegetable 
mould,  or  as  many  of  these  materials  as  can  be  pro- 
cured,  but  no  dead  dogs,  cats,  or  horses.     Over  this 
compost  put  a  layer  of  the  best  soil ;  then  take  your 
vine,  spread  the  roots  in  their  natural  position,  and  fill 
up  cnrefully.     Vines  three  and  four  years  old  are  the 
best,  if  they  have  been  properly  cared  for,  otherwise 
I  would  prefer  those  two  years  old.     Pruning  is  a  mat- 
ter of  the  first  importance.  In  gardens,  vines  are  grown 
upon  either  arbors  or  trellises,  and  the  same  kind  of 
pruning  will  not  answer  for  both.    The  arbor  is  gene- 
rally used  for  the  purpose  of  shade  as  well  as  fruit, 


ji 


,, ... 


148 


APPENDIX. 


and    here  spur-pruning    is    generally   praetLsed,  Lut 
carried  to  such  an  extreme,  that  in  the  course  of  years 
the  vines  beeome  knotty,  stunted,  and  unproductive. 
The  first  year,  little  or  no  pruning  is  necessary ;  if 
there  is  much  top,  however,  it  must  be  cut  into  two  or 
three  good-eyes.     The  vine  is  very  tractable,  and  may 
be  trained   in   the  most   symmetrical  manner;    this, 
however,  is  too  often  done  at  the  expense  of  the  best 
fruit-wood.     In  the  case  of  the  arbor,  after  the  leaders 
have  been  trained  to  their  i)laces,  and  the  vines  have 
come  into  bearing,  do  not  prune  closer  than  three  eyes. 
If  the  growth  is  likely  to  be  too  much,  rub  out  the 
middle  eye,  leaving  the  third  for  fruit,  and  the  first 
for  bearing  next  year ;  at  which  tiiiie  cut  away  all  the 
wood  down  to  this  first  shoot,  which  hitter  must  be  cut 
to  three  eyes,  rubbing  out  the  second  as  before,  and  so 
on  from  year  to  year.     The  truth  is,  it  would  require 
several  pages  to  explain  this  matter  fully,  but  I  have 
no  time  for  it.     In  the  case  of  the  trellis,  what  garden- 
ers call  cane-pruning  is  the  best.  Select  as  many  shoots 
as  are  wanted,  and  cut  out  all  the  rest ;  these  shoots 
arc  then  shortened  into  the  first  good  eye  ;  but  if  this 
should  leave  them  too  long,  they  must  be  cut  to  the 
desired  length.  I  regret  that  I  have  not  time  to  explain 
this  fully ;  but  the  principle  is,  to  get  rid  of  last  year's 
bearing-wood,  and  keep  the  new  wood  as  near  to  the 
body  as  possible.    The  grape  border  must  bcmanured, 


APPENDIX. 


149 


spaded,  aiul  cullivatcd  witli  as  mucli  care  as  you  would 
bestow  on  a  erop  of  corn.  A  summer  pruning  is  also 
necessary,  which  consists  in  thinning  out  the  superflu- 
ous  growth,  and  pinching  in  the  laterals.  The  leaves 
of  tlio  grape-vine  must  in  no  case  be  removed.  The 
best  time  to  i)rune  is  in  the  fail  and  early  winter. 

Ti.e  lK>st  grapes  for  this  latitude  are  the  Isabella, 
Catawba,  and  Early  Bhxck,  or  Madeira;  the  latter  only 
for  the  garden ;  the  Chart.T  Oak,  Royal  Muscadine,  (a 
eynonynie),  and  others  of  that  class,  are  worthless  hum- 
bugs.     Tlie  Diaiia  is  a  small,  sweet  and  rather  pleasant 
grape,  and  desirable  for  localities  where  the  Isabella 
vvdl  not  ripen.*    ai,e  Clinton  and  some  others  which 
are  well  spoken  of  I  have  had  no  opportunity  of  test- 
mg,  and  I  have  seen  the  fruit  of  many  seedlings,  which 
deserve  no  further  mention,  with  the  exception  of  a 
white  variety  with  the  Catawba  flavor,  and  ripening 
first  of  September.    I  think  this  last  will  prove  to  be 
a  very  good  grape. 

Bat  this  letter  has  reached  a  great  length,  and  I 
must  close  it,  with  all  its  shortcomings.    If  it  con- 


I 


I  have  elsewhere  slated,  in  a  report,  as  the  result  of  further 
xpor.enee  that  I  ecsider  the  Diana  valuable  for  general  cuTt  I 
tu)n  ;  and  s.nce  then,  the  American  Pomological  Soeiety  hrpuUt 
on  It.  .onend  li.st.  Jt  is  eertainly  a  fine  gfape.  ZVZorTll 
jardo  winch  there  has  been  so  much  eonLversv,  is  deLr  in" 
of  a  full  and  fair  trial.-January,  1856.  '         ^"^^'"^ 


150 


APPENDIX. 


tains  anythiiig  of  use  to  you  for  the  purposes  of 
your  manual,  you  are  at  liberty  to  do  what  you  please 
with  it. 

Sincerely  yours,  Peter  B.  Mead. 


APPENDIX  F. 


THE    FRUIT  AND  VEGETABLE  GARDEN. 

BY    AN    AMATEUR. 

There  are  a  few  accessories  of  the  homestead  more 
important  than  a  good  fruit  and  vegetable  garden  ;  no 
home  is  perfect  without  them.  If  there  is  one  thing 
more  than  another  which  adds  to  the  comforts  of  a  poor 
man's  cottage,  it  is  a  well-kept  garden,  in  its  largest 
sense ;  nay,  it  is  a'  luxury,  even  to  the  millionaire.  A 
well-regulated  house  within,  and  a  well-kept  garden 
without,  make  up  much  of  the  sum  of  human  happi- 
ness. How  few  such  there  are !  The  garden  is  too 
generally  looked  upon  as  something  to  minister  to  the 
mere  appetite ;  but,  when  rightly  regarded,  it  exercises 
a  moral  and  intellectual  influence,  which  gives  it  a 
strong  claim  to  the  serious  consideration  of  all  who  feel 
any  concern  in  the  ultimate  destiny  of  the  human  race. 
Horticultural  pursuits,  above  all  others,  bring  into 
healthy  play  these  powers  of  '  >dy  and  mind,  the 
mutual  exercise  of  which  alone  can  keep  up  that  just 


APPENDIX. 


151 


equilibrium  of  the  physical,  intellectual,  and  moral 
forces  which  makes  the  true  man. 

I  will  now  submit  a  few  practical  remarks  on  what 
may  be  called  the  Cottage  Vegetable  Garden,  or  rather 
Fruit  and  Vegetable  Garden ;  for,  on  a  limited  plot, 
they  ought  not  to  be  separated.  There  is  no  good 
reason  why  a  man  with  three  or  four  city  lots,  each 
25  by  100  feet,  should  not  indulge  the  luxury  of  a  few 
choice  fruits,  equally  with  him  who  owns  his  acres. 

In  what  follows,  it  is  supposed  that  the  lots  run 
ncrth  and  south,  the  house  being  built  on  the  north 
front,  and  the  flower-garden  separated  from  the  vege- 
table by  a  rose-trellis  the  full  width  of  the  lots.  The 
flower-garden  and  lawn  will  occupy  another  article. 

Let  us  suppose  a  man  has  four  lots  of  ground,  two 
of  which  arc  taken  up  with  a  house,  lawn,  flower-gar- 
den, &c.  lie  will  then  have  a  plot  50  by  100  for  a 
fruit  and  vegetable  garden.  Now  it  will  not  do  to  use 
half  of  this  up  with  walks — a  thing  quite  too  common. 

Beginning  at  the  rose-trellis,  lay  off  a  central  walk 
four  foet  wide,  through  the  length  of  the  garden ;  then, 
immediately  behind  the  rose-trellis,  lay  off  a  grape- 
border  ten  feet  wide,  and  parallel  with  this  a  walk 
three  feet  wide,  stopping  three  feet  short  of  each  side- 
fence  ;  then  borders  three  feet  wide  next  the  east  and 
west  fence;  then,  parallel  with  these,  a  walk  three  feet 
wide ;  then  a  central  walk  four  feet  wide,  through  the 


162 


AI'PKXDIX. 


xuidih  of  the  garden,  and  a  walk  three  feet  wide  (jIo 


the 


so 


rangement 


four 


rs. 


south 

central  beds,  each  40  by  17  feet,  besides  the  box- 
The  beds  and  borders  should  be  edged  with 
box,  kept  closely  cut.     The  whole  garden  should  be 
trenched  two  or  three  feet  deep.     To  make  the  walks, 
dig  out  the  soil  three  feet  deep ;  fill  in  with  stones 
about  one  foot  and  cover  them  with  stout  brush ;  then 
put  iu  the  sol,  and  finish  with  about  six  inches  of 
coarse  sand  or  gravel,  raising  the  walks  a  little  in  the 
middle.     Roll  them  from  time  to  time  till  they  become 
settled;  a  good  coating  of  salt  will  help  to  make  them 
hard,  and  keep  them  free  from  weeds.      Walks  thus 
made  will  keep  your  feet  dry,  and  your  beds  tolerably 
well  draincd-the  latter  an  object  which  should  never 
be  lost  sight  of,  especially  where  early  fruit  and  vege- 
tables are  desired.     There  are  some  matters  connected 
with  grading  and  levelling,  which  must  be  determined 
by  the  circumstances  of  each  particular  rase.     Lastly, 
there  sliould  be  some  eighteen  inches  of  good  soil,  of 
which  sod  mould  is  the  very  best.      No  amateur  can 
hope  to  have  a  good  garden,  pleasantly  worked,  unless 
everything  is  properly  prepared  from  the  beginning; 
hence  these  particulars. 

Now  let  us  see  what  permanent  "fixtures"  are 
wanted.  Four  feet  from'  the  rose-trellis,  put  in  a  row 
of  posts,  six  or  seven  feet  high  and  eight  feet  apart, 


AriMCNDIX. 


153 


upon  which  stretch  four  stout  wires.     IMant  a  grape, 
vine  between  each  post,  and  keep  them  well  pruned, 
on  the  caiie  system.     Eschew  all  charlatans  and  hum 
bugs,  whether  in  the  shape  of  men  or  vines,  and  among 
tlie  latter,  especially  the  Charter  Oak.      The  walk,  if 
made  as  directed,  will  keep  this  border  well  drained— 
a  matter  of  much  moment,  where  well-flavored  grapes 
are  desired.     Two  or  three  loads  of  gravel,  incorpo- 
rated  with  the  soil,  would  make  it  still  more  congenial 
to  the  grape.      Between  each  vine,  and  some  three  feet 
from  the  box  edging,  put  in  a  rhubarb  plant,  and 
under  it  a  good  heap  of  manure.      This  is  a  good 
arrangement,  notwithstanding  some  may  object  to  it. 
In  the  centre  of  this  border,  where  the  wide  walk 
intersects  it,  a  summer-house  may  be  erected. 

In  the  border  around  the  east  fence,  plant  the  black- 
berry,  some  three  or  four  feet  apart ;  in  the  west  bor- 
der, plant  the  raspberry  at  about  the  same  distance. 
It  would  be  well,  however,  to  reserve  a  portion  of  tlie 
west  border  for  a  few  plants  of  sage,  parsley,  thyme,  &u 
There  now  remain  the  four  large  beds,  the  borders 
of  which  may  be  occupied  with  dwarf  fruit  trees ;  no 
others  should  ever  be  grown  in  a  garden,  and  by  no 
means  plant  them  in  an  auger-hole.  I  would  recom- 
mend  chiefly  pears;  but,  for  the  sake  of  variety,  a 
couple  of  plums,  apricots,  cherries,   quinces,  &c.,  may 

be  added.     These  should  be  planted  in  the  border  of 
7* 


IKi 


154 


APPENDIX. 


tlie  largo  beds,  about  tliroe  feet  from  the  box  edging, 


I 
and 


III 


some  eiglit  feet  apart.  Between 
rant  or  gooseberry  busli  may  be  i)]an 
be  raised  from  cuttings,  grown  to  t\ 
regularly  winter-pruned.  This  mode  of  planting  is 
good  in  itself,  and  leaves  all  but  the  border  of  "the 
large  beds  €or  tbo  vegetables,  strawberries,  &c.  One  bed 
may  be  occupied  with  strawberries  and  asj)an)gus,  but 
the  latter  must  be  kept  three  or  four  feet  from'  the 
fruit  trees. 

Having  disposed  of  the  principal  permanent  arrange- 
ments, let  us  look  for  a  moment  at  such  vegetables  as 
will  have  to  be  raised  annually.     For  this  puipose  we 
have  left  three  of  the  large  beds.     It  is  taken  for 
granted  that  a  good  snpp]y  of  well-prepared  barn-yard 
manure  has  been  procured,  as  well  as  a  set  of  steel 
garden  implements,  which  latter  should  always  be  kept 
as  bright  as  a  new  penny.     First  make  up  your  mind 
what  you  will  grow,  and  how  much  of  it.   Then  spread 
on  a  good  coating  of  manure,  and  spade  twelve  inches 
deep.    It  is  surprising  to  a  novice  how  much  can  be 
grown  on  a  given   surface.      Beets,   carrots,  salsify, 
parsnips,  lima  beans,  and  some  others,  will  occupy  the 
ground  the  whole  season.     Beets  should  be  sown  thick, 
in  drills  six  inches  apart,  each  alternate  row  to  be  used 
for  greens,   as  well  as  the   thinnings  of  the  others. 
Between    the    carrots,   &c.,   radishes  may  be  sown. 


APrKNDIX. 


155 


Lettuce,  mdishes,  &c.,  may  be  sown  in  tlic  raspberry 
and  blackberry  borders.      Pcms  should  bo  sown  in 
double  drills  six  inches  apart,  at  intervals  of  three 
feet.     Between  the  peas  may  be  planted  beets  for 
greens,   radishes,   spinach,  lettuce,   &c.,   making   two 
drills  of  each.     The  i)eas  will  come  oft*  in  time  for 
turnips,   late  cabbage,  brocoli  or  celery;    the  latter 
should  be  planted  in  beds,  the  earth  thrown  out  ono 
spade  deep,  the  celery  planted  in  rows,  one  foot  apart, 
and  the  plants  from  six  to  ten  inches  in  tiic  rows. 
Snap  beans  will  be  off  in  time  for  cabbage,  turnips, 
fall  spinach,  &c.    If  beans  are  wanted  in  the  fall,  they 
may  follow  onions,  where  these  have  been  grown  from 
sets.    A  few  cucumbers  may  be  planted  in  the  fruit 
border.    Sugar-corn  should  be  planted  in  di-ills  three 
feet  apart,  the  plants  six  inches  in  the  drills  for  the 
small  early  varieties,  and  about  a  foot  for  others.    For 
a  succession,  plant  from  early  spring  till  the  first  week 
in  July,  two  or  more  drills  at  a  time,  according  to  the 
wants  of  the  family.    Corn  map  may  be  planted  after 
some  of  the   crops  named  above.     If  one  piece  of 
ground  is  used,  a  portion  of  it  will  give  you  some  early 
spinacli  and  peas.     Eadishes  may  also  be  i)lanted  from 
time  to  time  along  the  fruit  border,  but  too  much  of  that 
will  injure  the  trees.     A  few  egg-pjants  and  p(,'j)pers 
may  also  be  planted  in  the  fruit  border,  but  not  imme- 
diately under  the  trees.      By  the  exercise  of  a  little 


156 


APPENDIX. 


judgment,  a  variety  of  things  maj  be  made  to  follow 
each  other  in  this  way,  so  that  no  spot  of  ground  need 
necessarily  remain  uno-cupied  for  a  single  day  during 
the  whole  season. 

The  ground  must  be  kept  free  from  weeds,  and  well 
worked  at  all  times.    When  the  weather  is  dry,  use  the 
hoe  more  frequently  than  usual,  (a  narrow,  low-pronged 
rake  is  best),  which  will  enable  the  ground  to  absorb 
moisture  from  the  atmosphere,  of  which  it  always  con- 
tains some,  even  in  the  dryest  weather.      Frequent 
stirring  of  the  soil  is  important  in  another  respect,  in 
keeping  it  open  and  porous,  and  enabling  it  to  take 
up  the  gases  of  the  atmosphere,  which  constitute  no 
inconsiderable  portion  of  the  food  of  plants.     It  will 
also  give  an  earlier  and  better  crop.    Discard  the  prac- 
tice  of  earthing  your  plants,  except  for  the  purpose  of 
blanching.    Hilling  should  not  be  tolerated,  except  in 
soils  naturally  retentive  of  moisture;  the  true  remedy 
for  which  consists  in  underdraining,  and  not  in  hilling. 
The  preceding  remarks   are  mostly  of  a  general 
nature,  but  a  few  words  may  be  said  here  of  the  time 
and  labor  necessary  to  cultivate  and  keep  in  order  a 
garden  like  that  here  described.     A  person  familiar 
with  the  operations  to  be  performed,  and  expert  in  the 
use  of  implements,  can  generally  perform  the  necessary 
labor  (unless  he  is  dronish)  without  detriment  to  his 
daily  business;   on  the  contrary,  he  will  find  himself 


APPENDIX. 


157 


invigorated  for  the  dischargo  of  its  duties.     At  all 
events,  he  will  need  but  a  few  days'  assistance  for  the 
rough  woi'k.     I  I'uow  that  very  much  more  tlian  tins 
has  been  done  for  years  and  will  continue  to  be  done. 
I  spealc  this  for  the  encouragement  of  those  who  desire 
to  surround  their  homes  with  these  luxuries,  but  whoso 
means  will  not  permit  them  to  employ  a  permanent 
gardener.     Much  time  is  lost  for  want  of  proper  know- 
ledge.    The  best  advice  I  can  give  the  novice  is,  first 
to  learn  what  is  to  be  done,  and  then  learn  how  to  do 
it,  and  always  do  it  well.     :May  the  day  come  when 
even  the  common  laborer  shall  be  blessed  with  the 
comforts  of  a  good  home,  and  rejoice  "  under  his  own 
vine  and"  fruit  "tree  1" 


